The news report left Ash feeling rattled for the next hour or so, just the mention of the Marauder enough to bring his mind to places that he wished he didn't remember. In an effort to keep his mind off of it, he had switched the channel when the news report was over, finding a cooking show that promoted a lot more comfort than news regarding Team Rocket.

Eventually, his team turned in for the night. Pikachu rested at the foot of his bed as usual, while Nebula had taken up her signature position at the windowsill, the rain still falling outside, only slightly less intensely than before. Valiant, Eevee, and Tyrunt were grouped close together at cushions near the bed, Valiant the only member of the team still awake, silently observing Ash as the boy sat at the table. The Kirlia seemed a bit fatigued, but not enough to the point where he didn't want to stay awake.

And then there was Tempest, who had simply found a spot at the far end of the room, snoozing silently on a cushion, a good distance away from everyone else. He wasn't the only one sleeping alone, but unlike everybody else, he hadn't exchanged "good nights" with anyone, or even shared any sort of conversation. He was… secluded. Isolated from the rest of the group.

Ash found it regrettable that the moment where the team finally consisted of a full six Pokemon was also the moment where the sense of unity had come to an end. Unlike everybody else present within the group, Tempest had nobody to partner up with. No connections or bonds with any of his new teammates. And worst of all, that didn't seem to be changing any time soon. Even prior to the events of last night, nobody wanted anything to do with the violent Krabby, and even if they had, the only business that he would have asked for was a fight.

But the boy tried not to focus on that. For now.

Tempest wasn't any more interested in befriending the others as they were in befriending him. For the moment, he had to accept that, and work on allowing the newfound tension in the group to die down. If he tried to force everybody together…

Ash shook his head for a moment, before refocusing his attention on the map of Kanto that he had spread out on the table. With the lights off, he had turned on the lamp to give himself lighting to focus on what he was looking at. His cap was currently resting beside the map, his hair exposed as a result.

The territory of Saffron was located in the eastern half of the Region, albeit not the parts of it that had garnered a reputation for being less rookie-friendly. That would change if they continued going east, however, with the area leading to Lavender Town, the entirety of Fuschia territory, and the eastern side of Vermillion territory being home to much tougher trials for trainers, whether it be in the form of terrain, wildlife, or the other trainers that had set up shop to train. Fuschia, of course, being the most infamous for this in Kanto, perhaps alongside the mountainous surroundings of the Indigo Plateau.

Ash's eyes were locked on Saffron's City's logo on the map. They had come from the north in Cerulean, leaving them with three potential areas to select for their next stop: Vermillion City, Celadon City, and Lavender Town being the surrounding targets.

From this point onward, their journey would take a very different direction, depending on where they chose to go. Celadon City was to the west, and would theoretically be the shortest trip to take. It was just past the center of the Region, not overly far from the eastern portion of Viridian Forest. From Celadon, they could east back to Saffron, or southeast to Vermillion.

Vermillion City was to the south, and would be a slightly longer trip than Celadon, but still wouldn't be likely to take up much time. From there, they could head south towards Fuschia, north back to Saffron, or northwest to Celadon.

Finally, there was the longest potential trip: Lavender Town to the east. The town didn't have a Gym, and given that it was located all the way near the Region's eastern coast, it would actually take them further away from any of the Gyms in Kanto, including Vermillion and Fuschia. But if they were going to go eastward, it would be best to head there first, ensuring that they could stock up on supplies, before heading down to Fuschia, located near Kanto's southeastern coast. For a shorter trip (which would still take longer than the other options), they could head southwest for Vermillion. Going to Lavender and heading to Fuschia from there would be the longest potential trip to make by far, and would ensure that they would go a great deal of time without any additional badges, or even a chance to acquire one. It wasn't without merit, however, as more time on the road meant more time to train, without having to stay in one place. There was certainly nothing wrong with taking a break from traveling and focusing on training, and Ash certainly thought that it would be the most comfortable option (they could progress with their training while still enjoying the Pokemon Center's hospitality), but although a good deal of trainers preferred it, Ash was reluctantly willing to go along with the more difficult option, and remain on the move. As much as he disliked admitting it, the constant travel had its own merits, mostly if you wanted to acquire your badges quickly, but also to take advantage of the ever changing terrain for your training.

Neither option was inherently superior to the other, but Ash found himself favoring the frequent travel from a tactical standpoint, even if he vehemently preferred constant civilization on a personal level. And many trainers (just as many as those who took traveling more slowly) also favored the constant traveling, to the point where a good few of them actually enjoyed the wilderness.

Ash stared at the map, his gaze lingering on Lavender Town as a timid frown formed on his face.

Fuschia would certainly be an excellent place to train, more so than any of the other territories they could shoot for from here. But were they ready for it?

There was also a matter of the Gyms that they would be challenging. Erika of Celadon, LT. Surge of Vermillion, Koga of Fuschia. In that regard, Celadon was the most obvious choice, being the Region's most beginner friendly Gym alongside Pewter and Cerulean. It was one of the Gyms that was considered suitable for a trainer to start out with, whereas other Gyms, Fuschia and Vermillion included, weren't as flexible. Especially with the reputations that LT. Surge and Koga had both respectably garnered. Tales of their ruthlessness were practically horror stories among Indigo's trainer community, particularly the rookies.

And yet, he and his team were beginning to reach that threshold. They now had two badges to their names, going for their third. Soon, all of the Gyms would become less lenient, regardless of who they challenged. So did they go for Erika, while her efforts would hopefully still be at their most manageable? Or did they try for a more difficult, less beginner-friendly Gym to get the experience, and gauge what it would be like moving forward? They could have done that already if Sabrina was still here, but now, Surge was their closest option.

And of course, there was also the matter of the Magnet Train. It wasn't part of his plan, but theoretically, if they chose to take it, that would take them to Goldenrod City in the Johto Region. They could challenge the Gym there, and then either head back to Saffron, or completely change their plans by traveling in Johto instead. Doing so would completely shake up their journey, and they certainly wouldn't be the only ones in Indigo to do such a thing.

Although going to Johto certainly had its own merit, Ash had already chosen to hold off on that option for now. There was nothing stopping him from doing it, and it wouldn't necessarily make things any more difficult or less convenient, but for the moment, he opted to save what Johto had to offer for later. Of course, that didn't mean that the option didn't exist, and despite his plans not to take it yet, the fact that the possibility even existed at all was still yet another addition to the already overwhelming list.

Continuing to stare at the map, Ash found that he wasn't making any progress in making his decision. It was just a reminder of how many choices that they had. And the more Ash ran the possibilities through his mind, the more he found that it didn't make it any easier.

It almost felt absurd that he was finding this so difficult. If all of the options had merit, even if it was in different ways, then why not pick at random?

Ash ran his hands through his hair. Saffron, he realized, was a blessing and a curse. He should be thrilled by all of the possibilities. Excited.

But what good were options if he wasn't proactive enough to make up his mind?!

"Ash…"

The sound of the voice jolted him upright. Had he imagined that? With the flatscreen off, the room had been completely quiet apart from the rainfall outside, which he had grown accustomed to, now at a point where he practically took it for granted. But suddenly...

Turning around, his eyes combed through the room, but found nothing he wasn't already expecting. Pikachu was sleeping on the bed, Valiant was sitting upright on his cushion, in between Eevee and Tyrunt, both of whom slept on their own. At the end of the room, Nebula was at the windowsill, and Tempest was on his own.

And they were the only ones. Why wouldn't they be? They weren't traveling with anybody. They were the only ones in the room.

A troubled look adorned Ash's face as he turned his gaze back to the map. He couldn't understand why he would have imagined the sudden new voice, but what else could it be? Nobody was here to speak to him-

"A-...Ash…?"

There it was again, the boy only slightly less startled this time.

The voice sounded… young. Seemingly, that of a young boy. But as he looked around the room (now rising from his chair), he couldn't understand why he was hearing it. Nobody else was here, and he couldn't place what direction it was coming from… not tha tit made sense that he was even hearing it at all.

How could he be imagining it? He had never imagined something like this before-

A tug on his leg brought his attention to the floor. In his confused state, Ash was briefly startled, letting out a quick yelp before he relaxed a bit, seeing that it was just Valiant.

"Hey, buddy. Need something-?" Ash paused upon seeing what the young Kirlia was doing. His arm still on Ash's leg, Valiant seemed to be pointing to… himself?

"Ash… It's… m-me…"

The voice was sounding somewhat strained, yet still clear as day.

...Wait…

Startled again, Ash took a step back, placing his hands on the table behind him as he stared down at his psychic friend.

"Valiant…" it almost sounded absurd to ask. "...Are you…"

The young Kirlia was nodding, a small smile forming on his face, an expression that seemingly conveyed relief.

"Sorry I s-startled you. I w-wasn't sure how… to start…" The voice was trailing off, but Ash kept taking it in.

Young, relatively high-pitched with a typical, childlike tone, and male. It matched Valiant's age, Ash presumed… so…

Ash fell back down to his chair, which he turned to face Valiant's direction. "Are you… speaking to me telepathically?" It sounded absurd to ask, and yet… it checked out.

Psychic Pokemon were capable of communicating in a manner like this. In a way, Ash almost thought it was silly that he hadn't considered it, yet he had never thought of the possibility for some reason.

A psychic Pokemon could develop such an ability at just about any age or experience, but how effective that they were at it still depended on the age and experience. Those who acquired the means after having already honed their abilities via a great deal of training, would be fairly skilled at the practice right out of the gate. But that usually wasn't unless they had only gained the ability at such an experienced level. And even then, there would be obvious room for improvement. Most psychic types, even really skilled ones, would have difficulty communicating with more than one individual at once without practice first.

In comparison, younger, beginner psychics who developed the ability would not be good at it for quite some time. It would be much more mentally strenuous, tiring out the user considerably. Not to mention, it would be difficult to concentrate the ability enough to have a full conversation. With the combination of these two aspects, beginner psychics who developed such an ability wouldn't use it very often at first, and it would be quite some time before they could do so consistently. For a good long while, they would only utilize it in short bursts (and even then, the frequency would vary). It wasn't until their overall psychic abilities had been greatly developed and matured (usually not until they were at an exceptionally high level) that they would be both effective and consistent with the telepathic speech. And even then, it wouldn't always develop at the same rate. Some psychics found it more difficult to improve the mental speech than general battling abilities, and very few found it easier. There were even theories in the research field that developing telepathic speech at an early age would actually mean that it would take longer for the psychic to master it in the long run, as it would mean that the ability had less time to develop on its own prior to being used. These theories were even supported by Sabrina and Professor Oak themselves. Although, those same studies thankfully confirmed that this would not hinder any other areas of growth.

Either way, it seemed like Valiant had fallen under the latter category.

Judging by how he talked, he seemed to be having difficulty forming full sentences, which was consistent with his young age. Valiant may be on a fairly good level compared to most at his experience level, but he was still inexperienced. And a child, more importantly than anything else.

Looking up to meet his trainer's gaze, Valiant nodded, his grin friendly and serene as responded.

"I've been… trying."

Ash eyed his friend in concern. "You're sounding a bit strained." Telepathic speech was already mentally taxing for those who hadn't mastered it, and Valiant was making the attempt in the middle of the night.

"It's okay…" Ash helped Valiant up as the Kirlia made his way on top of the table, taking a seat next to the map to look at Ash from a better angle. "I want to talk to you."

Ash felt his heart flutter at the statement, although concern adorned his features as he observed Valiant's tired eyes. Whether the Kirlia liked it or not, he would not be able to speak to his trainer extensively, and it was going to take a long time for that to change.

It wasn't the same thing as simply learning a new move, most of which a Pokemon could at least get a handle on in between towns and cities (even if mastery and eventually modification of the move would often be an additional process). This would require long term improvement, the benefits of which wouldn't manifest until much, much later in their travels.

And given the exhaustion Valiant would be putting himself through to push the ability past where he was comfortably capable of (which most certainly amounted to speaking in short bursts on occasion), Ash didn't want the young Kirlia to drain himself by continuing for too much longer.

But Valiant was still willing to continue, so…

"Okay…" said the boy, his face easing up into a light grin as he placed a hand on Valiant's head, the Emotion Pokemon closing his eyes and subtly leaning into the contact. "But let's not make a habit out of this, okay? Otherwise you'll be tired every waking hour."

Beaming at the compromise, Valiant spoke again.

"I've been trying to do this for a bit. Like… a few days ago." The voice was a bit more steady. Valiant was getting a temporary grasp on it, even if it wouldn't make it any less tiring. For all Ash knew, it might make it worse. But he tried not to think about it for now. When Valiant wasn't able to continue anymore, he'll stop.

"A few days ago…" Ash mumbled under his breath, trying to pinpoint when that could be.

"Tempest…" Valiant's tone suggested he was trying to elaborate.

Ash perked up. "Hmm?"

"I tried to help you… but you had the same idea I did…"

Ash's eyes widened for a second, realization adorning his face. "Now I remember! I think I heard a voice that repeated the same order I was giving Pikachu… to aim Thunder Wave inside of the pincers. You got that idea too? You were watching the fight." at Valiant's nod, Ash found himself blushing. "Sorry I didn't notice earlier…"

He really was feeling embarrassed now. It was so easy to tell in hindsight, that a trainer with a psychic Pokemon should verify with said Pokemon in the event that they what a voice in their head… and yet here he was, completely blindsided by it.

Valiant's gaze wandered across the room, stopping at the far corner where the problematic Krabby silently slept.

"Are you sure about him?" his voice wasn't accusatory, but Valiant didn't hide the disagreement he was feeling.

Ash felt a pit in his stomach at the inquiry. Valiant didn't approve of Tempest's recruitment, and he had a feeling that opinion was representative of what everyone else felt. Perhaps the psychic wasn't outright stating it, but he clearly despised the River Crab Pokemon, with little incentive to change his stance.

Frowning at Valiant, Ash found he couldn't ignore the concern in those eyes of his. The Kirlia wore his heart on his sleeve. All of a sudden, Ash felt a surge of guilt as the rookie made eye contact with his partner.

"I don't know yet…" the rookie confessed with honesty. His eyes found their way to wear Valiant had been looking, resting on the sleeping Krabby in the corner. "If he keeps being a problem, I'll ask Professor Oak to find a place for him in the wild. I imagine he wouldn't send him back to Cerulean where he was picking on all of those Pokemon at Bill's place, but an expert like him will find a suitable habitat for sure. He returned his gaze to Valiant. "But… that's only the worst case scenario. I know we've never been in this situation before… but it's common. We shouldn't run away from it. Other trainers have managed worse…"

Tempest was different from Eevee. Although the Evolution Pokemon had started off hating Nebula for the role that she played in her capture, and hadn't been very trusting towards everybody right out of the gate, mos tof her hostility was still limited to only the Staravia. Not to mention, it hadn't taken her long to come around to everyone else (especially Valiant, who had shielded her from what would have otherwise been a life-ending attack), and it had only taken a little bit longer for her to get over her grudge towards Nebula.

Tempest, on the other hand, was hostile towards everybody. Much more so than Eevee had treated Nebula. And his actions could have proven fatal for Tyrunt (who himself still needed taming) if the rest of the group hadn't stepped in.

But… Tempest's situation was hardly an outlier, right? Maybe for them, but most trainers had at least a few teammates that started out as problematic. To say nothing for the fact that some Pokemon were inherently more dangerous in behavior than others. Karen had tamed a Hydreigon of all Pokemon. Compared to their problems with Tempest, that was…

A concerned frown adorned Valiant as he nodded in response. "I trust you."

Valiant trusted him… But not Tempest. That really was how it was going right now, wasn't it? Neither Valiant nor the rest of the team, weren't openly opposing Ash's judgment, but they still weren't comfortable with it.

Ash didn't blame them. It was his job to find a way to make everything work out. This was his commitment. He couldn't let them down by betraying that trust.

Shifting in his sitting position, Valiant glanced down at the map of Kanto that Ash had sprawled out on the table. With curiosity, the Kirlia's eyes traveled along the various landmarks and logos signaling the many different territories and locations found in the Region.

"Big, isn't it?" Ash chuckled. "And this is just one part of Indigo." a sad smile. "I still haven't figured out where I want to go yet."

Valiant's eyes traced the map before finally arriving on Saffron. As if analyzing the split paths branching out of the city, he leaned in a little closer. Ash watched him in silence for a few moments before speaking up.

"We have a little bit of time to figure it out." the boy commented. "I'm thinking we could stay here for at least a couple days to recuperate and restock." his finger pressed against the Saffron label on the map, Valiant following it with his gaze. "But I'd prefer to make the decision as soon as possible. Not planning ahead comes back to bite a trainer no matter how strong they are."

He imagined Misty and Gary were planning thoroughly. He wondered if they'd have any difficulty making up their minds in a situation like this.

Deciding not to dwell on it, Ash slid his finger across the map, reaching Celadon. "It would be nice to come here. Easiest trip. And it's the most beginner-friendly Gym out of our options. It seems like the obvious choice."

Valiant nodded in understanding. "So… why not just go there?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Vermillion City would be a lot more risky, but… it wouldn't hurt to try, right? The worst that could happen is that we lose and go somewhere else afterwards. But then we'd go longer without another badge…"

Valiant's gaze lingered on Celadon, his face falling into a frown as he stared at the label. Eventually, his eyes lingered just a bit to the east, widening as they fixed themselves on Viridian Forest.

Ash followed his gaze. "Viridian Forest isn't far from Celadon. Not directly connected ot it like it is with Pewter or Viridian City, but they are neighbors."

Valiant's voice was suddenly laced with concern. "We… aren't going back there… are we?"

Ash shook his head. "Not for the foreseeable future. Why?"

Valiant's face lit up with relief at that. Giving Ash a somewhat sad smile, he elaborated. "I… don't like that... place…" the Kirlia rubbed his eyes, letting out a yawn as Ash observed him in concern.

"Valiant, if you're tired you can-"

The Kirlia raised a hand to reassure them. "I'm fine right now…" his gaze left Viridian Forest. "In that forest, I… felt something…"

"What do you mean?"

"A presence… everywhere…" the Kirlia's body caught a chill.

A presence…? Looking back, Ash had remembered the disturbing feeling that they were being watched. And with Valiant's species, he could sense emotions. He must have felt it more than Ash or the rest of them did.

The rookie wanted to know more, but didn't ask Valiant to elaborate. He was already taxiing himself more than Ash was comfortable with.

Either way, he certainly didn't miss the forest anymore than Valiant did. They would not be returning there anytime soon. And thankfully, there wasn't a need. For the foreseeable future, Celadon was the last business that they had outside of eastern Kanto.

Returning to the map, Ash saw Valiant staring at Celadon City, a more neutral frown adorning his features with a pondering expression. He almost seemed sad.

Something was on his mind… Did it have to do with the city?

Speaking of which… Ash's gaze momentarily found its way to his backpack. They still had Elacia's business card. And the Breeder had also given them her friend Suzie's card as well.

Both resided in Celadon. Elacia had asked the boy to visit her whenever he reached the city, and to go to Suzie if she wasn't there.

He didn't want to keep her waiting, but she hadn't been rushing him either.

Looking back to the map, Ash examined his eastern option… Fuchsia. Take the longer trip to Lavender Town, followed by the even longer trip to Koga's domain.

He frowned. It was a possibility, but fairly extreme.

"Thinking about it… Fuchsia is probably the least appealing option right now." the boy spoke up, earning Valiant's attention. "We'll be going the longest without any attempts at a badge, let alone victories. And Koga would be a lot more of a risky opponent than Erika." he nodded to himself. "And although the journey would make for a great journey, what with Fuchsia's reputation and all… that doesn't mean we'll be ready for it. I don't think we should venture any further into eastern Kanto just yet."

Valiant took in Ash's words, and Ash took note of how much the Kirlia seemed to be paying attention to what he said.

'He's really invested…' the boy thought to himself. It almost felt like Valiant was as dedicated to the adventure as he was. It was touching. He wished he could ask the Kirlia where his motivation came from, but with Valiant's gaze growing more drowsy, he decided to hold off on it.

Either way, seeing the Emotion Pokemon's commitment was a morale boost of its own.

As Valiant rubbed his eyes, letting out a louder yawn, Ash reached out to him, placing a hand on his friend before Valiant raised an arm in reassurance again. Ash decided he'd only let the Kirlia continue for a little while longer. He had to put his foot down at some point.

Perhaps he was being a bit too soft, but the Kirlia was likely just happy about trying out his new capability. Ash could sympathize with that, which was likely why he allowed this to continue for as long as it had. But as he saw Valiant struggle to keep his eyes open, he reaffirmed to himself that this would be the last time he let Valiant take it this far. At least for a very long time, that is.

His eyes returning to the map, Ash's gaze traveled across Kanto. Not just the next potential targets for their journey, but Kanto. He observed it all. Not just the visuals provided for the cities, such as Vermillion's harbor, but the outside world surrounding and connecting all of the cities and towns. From the vast Viridian Forest. The mountainous wilderness of Fuchsia. The plains connecting Vermillion with the wilds leading into Fuchsia. The southern sea attached to Vermillion and Fuchsia's respective coasts, along with the shore near Pallet, Cinnabar Island and the Seafoam Islands both found on those waters. The massive bridge connecting Fuchsia's shoreline to the southwestern coast near Pallet, almost like a glorified link. The towering Mt. Moon. The mountain range beyond Pewter, leading into and somewhat surrounding the Indigo Plateau, the symbol of their journey's conclusion.

Sparing a glance at Valiant, Ash could tell that the young Kirlia was entranced despite his fatigue. And so was Ash.

The map was so visually detailed. It captured the essence of the Kanto Region as much as an illustration of its type possibly could, and did so beautifully. Ash couldn't imagine how fantastical an entire map of Indigo of the same scope and ambition would look. To see how the famed Mt. Silver fit into all of this, or how Goldenrod's incredible scope meshed in with the rest. Not to mention the vast ocean connecting Kanto and Johto to the Orange Islands and Sevii Islands.

But even with just Kanto alone, it made for an intimidating picture. It was a daunting land spread out before them. But it was ultimately one that they would conquer. As a team.

Ash glared to himself. But if they were to do that, he needed to stop being so indecisive. Valiant was committed enough to take a look at the map with him. But it wasn't just the Kirlia. Pikachu had placed his trust in him, even after their horrible start all the way back on Opening Day. Nebula and Eevee had both warmed up to the group, and befriended their teammates along the way. Tyrunt was getting involved now, and no longer wanted to be just a spectator. And Tempest, friend or not, had joined the party, eager for whatever intense battles they would find during the travels ahead.

Everyone had shown their own dedication. He couldn't let something as silly as a branching path get in the way of that.

He needed to choose. Now.

He had already chosen to hold off on Fuchsia. Which meant they wouldn't be going to Lavender Town until later. One day, they would venture beyond mid-eastern Kanto and into the eastern portion of the Region. But today was not that day.

And given his reasoning for avoiding Fuchsia…

Ash's voice alerted Valiant, who returned his attention from the map to him.

"Vermillion might give us the best of both worlds." the rookie pointed out. At Valiant's curious expression, he elaborated. "Or at least a taste of them both. It's a faster trip than Lavender Town, like Celadon, but it would also give us a chance to up the difficulty, like Fuchsia. And thankfully, the road to Vermillion won't be nearly as dangerous as the areas we'd have to go to in order to approach Fuchsia territory. We'd be more equipped for this trip, and can still try to tackle one of the more infamous Gyms. There's no rush, otherwise I'd want to go to Celadon right away, but… we get a small bit of both benefits this way. "

Valiant perked up at Ash's explanation. "We're not going to Celadon yet?" The Kirlia suddenly flinched. His tone of voice almost sounded… relieved? And the Emotion Pokemon's reaction to his own eagerness almost made it seem like he wanted to hide it.

But just like always, Valiant wore his heart on his sleeve.

Ash frowned curiously. "You don't want to go there?" Was it because Celadon was somewhat close to Viridian Forest? Ash could understand the young Kirlia's reasoning, but it hadn't stopped the psychic from being fairly comfortable in Pewter, which was far closer to the forest than Celadon was.

Valiant shook his head. "No… it's just…" Despite paying attention to the Kirlia, Ash didn't quite notice the young psychic's eyes subtly shift in the direction of his backpack. "Like you said. There's… no rush."

His expression was easy to read. He was conflicted about something. But as he let out yet another yawn, Ash chose not to press.

'Maybe he had the same line of thinking that I just did?' Ash wondered to himself. Judging by the battle with Tempest, it apparently wouldn't be the first time that he and the Kirlia were like-minded.

Ash leaned in a bit closer to the psychic. He looked like he was going to pass out at any minute. He needed to be able to support Valiant just in case he did.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't know for sure if we're ready to be LT. Surge yet." Ash admitted to his friend, deciding to be transparent. "But it should be a good experience to try. We might get a really big victory out of it, so we won't know unless we take the leap."

Yes, taking the leap. It was good to be cautious, but not afraid. This was a compromise. Not yet tackling the unforgiving wilds of eastern Kanto, but not shying away from the more brutal, less forgiving Gym Leaders that they would have to face at one point or another anyway.

He had never been the most bold kid in town. That honor had always gone to Gary, and Misty's bravado was also far beyond him. But he wasn't in Pallet anymore. He had the courage to step out of the safety bubble that he had grown up in throughout all his life, so now, he had to commit to that.

Win or lose, the Thunder Badge would be their next goal.

"Even if we don't win," Ash pointed out. "We can always try again later. Just so we'd know. We can always head back here to Saffron, or go northwest from Vermillion to Celadon. It would mean we'd still go longer without another badge, but we'd at least be making the attempt, and either succeed or figure out how far we still have to improve."

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Tired but beaming, Valiant nodded. "Right! We can… do… this…" his eyes grew heavy, and he tilted backwards.

"Valiant!" Rising out of his seat, Ash caught Valiant in his arms just before the young Kirlia fell onto his back. He wouldn't have fallen off the table, but Ash had chosen to react regardless. Looking down at his exhausted partner, Ash shot him a frown. "You okay?"

Valiant's eyes fluttered open slowly, but did not quite open completely.

"Let's… give it our… all…" his expression was coated in fondness as he looked Ash in the eyes, smiling tiredly. "We'll get… eight… badges…" he drifted off.

Ash returned Valiant's affectionate expression. "We will."

Cradling the young psychic in his arms, Ash carried Valiant back to his cushion, laying him down gently. His gaze lingered on the young Emotion Pokemon.

"It was great talking to you, Valiant." The young boy spoke softly, so as not to wake anyone. "But for your own good, we shouldn't do this again for a while."

Standing upright, Ash's head turned between Valiant's cushion, Eevee's, and Tyrunt's. The young Kirlia's devotion hadn't just affected the rookie trainer. He had played a part in Eevee warming up to the group, and was definitely a motivator for Tyrunt to improve and catch up to everybody else on the battlefield.

The boy's gaze lingered on the baby dinosaur for a moment.

Speaking of taking the leap…

/

The team woke at a more decent hour than they had the previous morning. No disturbances in the middle of the night to interrupt their rest, and Ash hoped that that would be the norm moving forward.

The clear hostility between Tempest and the rest of the team was too clear to easily overlook, but no instances took place, even if Tempest would receive a distrusting, suspicious glare from any teammate he ended up in close vicinity to, which he returned with a sneer.

After taking a shower, Ash took the time to call Delia on the way to the cafeteria, although he chose to omit the troubles that had been surrounding the group's latest team member. That was something that he wanted to save for Professor Oak if it ever became a problem again.

So instead, he kept it simple, stating that Tyrunt had begun training now and that they had made a new capture after leaving Cerulean. He also gave her a heads up that he wouldn't be in Saffron for long, due to Sabrina's absence. Delia seemed disappointed that she wouldn't have much time to talk to her son before he was on the road again, but didn't complain.

After breakfast, Ash returned Nebula, Eevee, and Tempest, with Pikachu and Valiant choosing to remain out. The two conversed with Tyrunt as Ash began cleaning up their area.

The rookie wasn't sure what TMs he'd be picking up at the Poke Mart just yet, but figured he'd get ideas once he saw the selection. Nevertheless, he found himself brainstorming some of the things that his team would benefit from as he returned their dishes, walking past a few groups of trainers talking amongst themselves. One girl was complaining to another girl (who's facial expression implied she was only half-listening) about how Sabrina had left before she could get her "revenge" on her.

While placing the dirty dishes on the cart, Ash found himself mentally going through the current move pools of his team.

'...Valiant has some pretty good range, but nothing suitable for close quarters. And it might encourage him to work on his agility so he doesn't always have to spend energy on Teleport or Shadow Sneak to close distances. Tyrunt could probably use at least one more biting move to take advantage of his ability. But what to do with the others?'

Ash was in the middle of trying to think things over as he made his way back to his table, only to perk up when he saw a figure who wasn't there before.

It was a boy who looked about his age. Short, dark green hair with a bright orange shirt and shorts. His outfit almost looked like it was on fire with its color.

The boy was sitting at their table, keeping a bit of distance away from the three Pokemon, who hadn't seemed to have noticed his presence while chatting away casually.

The boy perked up when he spotted Ash stopping near the trio, a surprised, apologetic look on his face.

"Oh! Are you their trainer? Sorry for staring!" Comically, he put his hands together and bowed, as if begging for mercy.

Flushing a bit in surprise as Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt finally took notice of the onlooker, Ash shook his head. "I-It's fine!" he lightly stammered, not expecting the other kid to be so apologetic. "I'm not offended."

The green haired kid breathed a deep sigh of relief before rising from the table and making his way to the group. He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he stopped in front of Ash. Pikachu and the others exchanged quizzical looks at his behavior.

"Heh heh. Just wasn't expecting to find a Kirlia here. And I don't even know what that dinosaur thing is." The look on Tyrunt's face suggested that the Royal Heir Pokemon didn't realize that the boy was talking about him.

"He's a Tyrunt." Ash explained, as the little dinosaur recoiled in shock, now realizing that he was the subject of conversation. "Here…" Taking out his Pokedex, he toggled through the "recent entries" section and held the device in front of the newcomer for him to see.

"Whoa…" the boy stared in intrigue as he took in the information listed in the device. "How'd you get one of those?"

"A… Breeder." Ash answered simply., once again choosing not to mention Elacia's name.

Looking up from the device, the boy grinned at Ash as the young rookie tucked the Pokedex away. "Well, that's pretty cool! Didn't think I'd run into a Pokemon I'd never heard of this early on!"

Ash could empathize with that. He had also been rather shocked when Tyrunt had first hatched, as had Misty. He supposed it was something he had to get used to, however. He'd surely be running into trainers from exotic Regions at one point, especially during the Conference (although foreign trainers only made up a fraction of the populace, they were still in great numbers).

"The name's Nick. Nice to meet ya." the boy, Nick, extended his hand towards Ash, who accepted it.

"Ash." he responded with a grin.

"So, how many badges do you have?" Nick asked curiously as the two separated. "I just got my first from Goldenrod. Was planning to hit Celadon next."

"Two." Ash answered as Pikachu made his way to his shoulder, prompting him to lightly scratch the rodent under the chin. "Pewter and Cerulean."

Nick's eyes lit up. "Whoa! You've traveled a lot farther than I have! Unless you count the Magnet Train, of course." he pointed his thumb to his chest. "Say… if you're not busy, do you wanna have a quick battle? I was already looking for an opponent, but got sidetracked when I saw your team. I'm going for my second badge now, so if you already have two, I'd like to test ,yself."

Ash nodded, his grin widening. He had been planning to leave the Center right away, but no harm could be done from taking a quick detour to battle someone. For one thing, it would be a lot of fun.

Suddenly his eyes lit up.

'Right! What I was thinking last night…' his eyes briefly darted in Tyrunt's direction, although only Valiant seemed to pick up on it.

Nick pumped a fist. "Alright! The battlefield is pretty close to here. Meet you there?" At Ash's nod, the boy took off.

'He's an energetic one.' thought Ash, although the rookie wasn't complaining.

Looking down at Tyrunt and Valiant, Ash leaned down to lock eyes with the young dinosaur.

He almost hesitated, but quickly shook that concern off.

'Take the leap.' he thought to himself.

"Hey Tyrunt… are you ready to have your first real battle?"

The dinosaur's reaction was one to remember.

/

Thankfully, the battlefield hadn't been occupied when they got there, meaning that they could get started right away. Tyrunt had practically raced over to his spot in the arena while Ash, Pikachu, and Valiant watched in amusement, the little dinosaur stamping on the ground with a wide grin splitting his face as Nick took up his position on the other side.

The air was moist from last night's previous rainfall, but the weather itself was dry, although much of the sky was still covered in gray clouds. The forecast had called for more rain in the afternoon, so they thankfully had time.

As Ash stopped in front of Tyrunt, Nick called out to him. "So… how's two on two sound?"

"That should be good!" Ash responded as the orange haired boy took out a Poke Ball. "Tyrunt will be going first."

"Got it! And I'll start with…"

A Sandshrew appeared in front of the boy. Upon exiting the flash of light, the Ground Type raised his claws into the air, letting out a high-pitched shriek towards the heavens. He sounded almost as excited as Tyrunt, who's eyes lit up in fire upon seeing his first ever opponent arrive.

"He's one of my eager pals!'" Nick announced, grinning fondly at the mouse, who was currently tapping his claws together in anticipation. "That's your opponent, Sandshrew!" he pointed to Tyrunt as he announced.

As the Ground Type mouse sunk into a stance, holding his claws out in front of his sides as he locked eyes with Tyrunt, Ash felt a small drop of sweat rolling down his cheek.

This was it. This was Tyrunt's first time in a real battle. But he shook off that anxiety. They'd make it count.

As Pikachu and Valiant both let out encouraging cries to Tyrunt (Pikachu still on Ash's shoulder while Valiant stood by the trainer's side), the dinosaur seemed to be growing more excited by the second, until Ash finally shouted out an order.

The first order that Tyrunt would ever follow on the battlefield.

"Charge him, but don't completely close the distance yet! Use Rock Blast!"

Tyrunt's overflowing excitement was channeled into the effort he put in as the dinosaur's legs carried him across the arena. His speed still wasn't up to par with the likes of Pikachu or Eevee, and even when they weren't boosting it with Quick Attack they could easily run circles around him. But he moved fairly quickly all the same.

As Tyrunt began to close the distance, a barrage of small rocks escaped from his open mouth, Nick responding with an order of his own.

"Sandshrew! Defense Curl to block, then Rollout!"

A faint, pale glow covered Sandshrew's exterior as the mouse folded up into a spherical form, the rocks shattering harmlessly against his body as Tyrunt came to a stop a few feet away from him.

The young dinosaur was a bit closer than Ash would have liked. Nevertheless, there was just enough distance between the two combatants to give Ash enough time to issue a counter order, just before Sandshrew rushed forward.

"Use Roar!"

Just as Sandshrew's now spherically shaped body began to advance towards Tyrunt, the baby opened his mouth, letting out the loudest cry he could manage as the shockwaves that erupted from his throat pushed against the charging Ground Type.

Ash grinned in triumph as Sandshrew's advance was halted. The mouse was only barely pushed back, but his attack had failed, thanks to Roar deflecting it.

"Now, Tackle!" Ash called out just as Sandshrew was somewhat forced out of his spherical form, sitting in an upright position as Tyrunt thrust himself forward.

The baby dinosaur drove himself headfirst into his opponent's stomach, Sandshrew wheezing in surprise and pain as he was pushed back further.

"Metal Claw!"

Catching himself on his hands before he could completely fall backwards, Sandshrew sprang himself forward, his legs carrying him towards Tyrunt as his raised claw became coated in metal.

"Catch it with Bite!"

As Sandshrew took a swing at Tyrunt, the Royal Heir Pokemon took a step back, the metallic claw just barely missing him, before snapping his jaws down on the claw.

The metal coating of the claw struggled under the pressure of Tyrunt's powerful chomp, Sandshrew gritting his teeth with an increasingly painful wince as Tyrunt gnawed down on the protective layer.

Ash nodded in approval while Valiant, a stern expression on his face, held his fists in front of him in excitement. Strong Jaw was doing its work. Normally that metal coating would act as the perfect cushion for Sandshrew, but thanks to the strength of Tyrunt's chomp, that defensive layer was compromised.

"Dragon Tail!"

Jerking his head backwards, Tyrunt pulled Sandshrew forward, sending him staggering towards the eager baby while clutching his bitten claw as the dinosaur's tail glowed a bright purple.

The aura was noticeably brighter than it had been when he had first started using the move. Swerving around, Tyrunt drove his tail directly into Sandshrew's gut, leaving the mouse sputtering in pain as he was nearly knocked on his bottom.

As Sandshrew held his stomach, staggering backwards while Tyrunt turned to face him once more, Nick called out.

"Good reactions! Let's see how you handle rapid-fire tactics. Fury Swipes!"

Righting himself, Sandshrew raised his claws over his sides. The claws began to glow white just before he took off running for Tyrunt, a barrage of slashes being let loose just as he started closing in.

"Roar!" Ash hurriedly called out.

The shockwaves that escaped from Tyrunt's throat slammed into Sandshrew and knocked him off balance, leaving him open for Ash's next order.

"Poison Fang!"

Nick's eyes widened in surprise as Tyrunt's jaws began to glow a dark purple, and as the dinosaur rushed forward to sink his teeth into Sandshrew, the green haired rookie's voice grew desperate. "Brick Break!"

Regaining his footing just in time to take a small hop backwards and avoid Tyrunt's jaws (the dinosaur let out a frustrated grunt as his teeth bit down together with nothing in between), Sandshrew reared his arm back. With his fist glowing a bright orange, the mouse lunged forward and drove it into Tyrunt's face. A loud smacking noise echoed across the battlefield as the baby dinosaur painfully wailed out loud, falling down onto his side as Sandshrew loomed over him, the other arm raised with a metallic claw.

"Roll out of the way!" At Ash's orders, Tyrunt rolled to the side just as Sandshrew's claw travelled downwards, stabbing into the pavement just after the Royal Heir Pokemon left his reach. Sandshrew stood upright as Tyrunt picked himself up, whimpering a bit at his now bleeding jaw before shaking his head and turning back in Sandshrew's direction to fix his opponent with a glare.

"Get back, use Swords Dance, then Metal Claw!"

True to Nick's orders, Sandshrew ran backwards for a few seconds before raising his claws out in front of him. A silver aura began to coat over his body as he spun around on one foot, before dissipating as he charged forward, both of his claws still bathed in the silver light and now encased in metal.

Ash frowned. Not only would Swords Dance greatly strengthen the attack, but it was likely a precaution to make his claws less susceptible to Tyrunt's jaws.

"Use Roar!" he decided.

"Block!" Nick responded.

Despite the pain in his jaw, Tyrunt clamped his mouth shut, his determined eyes beginning to grow wild as his opponent charged forward.

Sandshrew crossed his claws in front of his face just as the loud shockwave escaped from Tyrunt's throat. Although he staggered a bit, he did not falter, and continued his advance, closing in on his target just as the young dinosaur had finished catching his breath.

"Duck and use Rock Blast!"

As one of Sandshrew's claws (the one that hadn't been bitten down on yet, cleverly) swung for Tyrunt's face, the dinosaur lowered his head, feeling a brief rush of air as the attack just barely passed over, before unloading a barrage of small rocks into the ground type mouse's gut.

Sandshrew cried out as the onslaught of pebbles pelted his stomach, the glow in his claws beginning to flicker as Nick cupped his hands.

"Don't give in, Sandshrew! Strike him with everything you've got!"

Hearing his trainer's encouragement, Sandshrew's eyes widened in determination as he swiped away the last of the rocky barrage with his other claw, the silver glow returning in full, before lashing out at Tyrunt. Yelping, the dinosaur attempted to swerve to the side, but the claw still skimmed his face. Tyrunt howled in displeasure as the powered up Metal Claw cleaved through his flesh. Even with such an indirect hit, blood sprayed from the side of Tyrunt's face, and Ash's eyes widened (Pikachu holding his teeth in concern) as a deep cut was formed across.

Sensing victory, Nick pushed on, pumping his fist forward. "Brick Break! Right to the head!"

Watching Sandshrew rearing back, an orange aura forming around his fist, Ash called out as quickly as he could as Tyrunt's gasped from the pain of the previous attack.

"Tackle! Then point-blank Roar!"

Tyrunt's eyes widened, and Ash's spine chilled as a familiar, bloodlusted howl escaped from the dinosaur's throat, all the while the infant launched himself into Sandshrew's gut, just as the ground type had begun lunging forward to take a swing.

Whether it be because of anger, or becoming immersed into the battle, the hatchling's eyes blazed with bloodlust as he charged into his opponent.

Valiant's eyes remained locked onto Tyrunt as his young friend pushed his opponent back, Sandshrew gasping for air as the dinosaur drove his head as deeply into his stomach as possible. The aura surrounding the mouse's fist dissipated, one final push from Tyrunt sending the ground type barely staggering backwards, only for the hatchling to close the distance yet again. The approaching dinosaur was just inches away from his target as the shockwave that escaped from his throat slammed into Sandshrew's gut.

Already off balance, Sandshrew was not prepared for the additional attack, which sent him flying a few feet back before landing on his bottom, bouncing upon impact before landing on his stomach, arms outstretched as Tyrunt continued to advance forward.

Now Ash was the one sensing victory. "Poison Fang!"

"Get up Sandshrew!" Nick was frantic now, his eyes lighting up with panic from the whiplash of going from the verge of success to being about to lose. "Defense Curl!"

Sandshrew rose to his feet just as Tyrunt began to close the distance between them. His body once again became coated in a faint, pale aura just as Tyrunt's jaws became armored with a dark, purple light.

Sandshrew was still in the midst of folding into a ball when Tyrunt was already upon him, performing a small hop before latching down onto the ground type's back, teeth grinding against the protective aura of Defense Curl.

Ash and Nick both shouted out words of encouragement at their respective partners, Tyrunt clenched his teeth as hard as his body was able against Sandshrew's stubborn exterior, while the mouse Pokemon attempted to shake the hatchling off.

Sandshrew's efforts didn't last long, however, as the coating of Defense Curl began to give out a few moments later, the ground type letting out a pained squeal as Tyrunt's teeth began to dig in. Due to the naturally rough hide of his target, and the Defense Curl not being completely dissipated, the young dragon was not able to fully bite through. However, he managed to do so just enough to inject the toxins of Poison Fang into his target's bloodstream, Sandshrew's face slowly becoming sickly as the effects took hold.

After a few more moments of Tyrunt violently clinging to his target, Ash gave the final order.

"Hit him in the face with Dragon Tail!"

Releasing his opponent and landing on his feet. Tyrunt spun around and smacked his purple, glowing tail into Sandshrew's face, the ground type letting out a final, pained cry before collapsing onto his back in a heap.

After a few moments of his partner struggling to get up, Nick recalled Sandshrew.

A few moments of silence passed as everybody processed what had just occurred. Tyrunt stood where Sandshrew had been, panting and gasping for air as the exertion of the battle finally made itself known in full. The expression in his eyes was a contemplating one, still taking in the events of the battle." Ash, Pikachu, and Tyrunt looked on as they observed the baby.

Then… joy.

Ash's face was glowing as his grin split across. "Tyrunt… buddy, you did it!"

It was as though his trainer's words were the final push that Tyrunt needed to realize his victory.

His first battle… what he had been waiting for since before training had even started… and he had won.

Ignoring the pain, exhaustion, and stress of the previous bout, Tyrunt turned around and shrieked in joy, sprinting across the arena and into Ash's arms as the young rookie crouched down to catch him.

The contact nearly knocked Ash over, and the boy briefly winced in pain as Tyrunt's rough exterior bowled into him, but he ignored whatever scrapes and bruises he may have received from the impact as he welcomingly pulled the hatchling into the embrace.

"You did it! You actually did it! I'm so proud of you!" Ash hadn't been overly sure what their chances were, but Tyrunt's existing moveset had been utilized carefully, nullifying the inexperience as best as they could, and his immensely powerful jaws had come through in the end. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he caught up with everyone else, or at least in terms of how they would perform in certain, specific situations.

But for the moment, none of that mattered. All that mattered was this milestone. Tyrunt had won his first ever battle.

Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulder, excited chitters escaping his mouth as he waved his arms. As Ash released Tyrunt and stood up, he watched with a fond expression as Tyrunt soaked up the congratulations offered by the electric mouse and Valiant. As the three celebrated, he looked out over to Nick, who had just finished coaxing his Sandshrew, and was now rummaging for another Poke Ball.

"Your Sandshrew was pretty good!" Ash called out, hoping the compliment would ease the disappointment of losing. Nick's Sandshrew had certainly been decent, and likely would have won if they had made a single major slip up. Even with how the battle had gone, Tyrunt certainly hadn't come out of the bout unscathed, and his naturally powerful jaws were likely the only tool he had that could combat Defense Curl.

It had been a solid matchup, and Tyrunt had needed to rely on his own, very specific attributes in order to win. Sandshrew's showing hadn't been a bad one.

Thankfully, Nick didn't seem to have any hard feelings. "Thanks! I'm sure he enjoyed it, he never gets upset about battling, even that one time where the pretty girl with the flashy bow completely humiliated us!" Ash didn't have context for that memory, but nodded along nonetheless.

Finally, Nick found the Poke Ball that he was looking for, and enlarged it as he held it out front. "Your Tyrunt's great! I should've warned Sandshrew to watch out for those teeth, but congrats!" As Ash nodded his thanks, the green haired rookie added. "Anyway, I'll use my trump card for this one. May the best trainer win!"

A bright flash of light escaped from the Poke Ball, and was soon replaced by a Machop. Ash raised a brow as the Fighting Type smacked it's fists together on repeat, Nick chuckling at the display.

"Don't mind him, just a ritual. He's been doing it since I caught him."

Nodding in understanding, Ash spared the widely grinning Machop a few more seconds of attention before crouching down to face Tyrunt, who had just finished up with pikachu and Valiant.

Observing the hatchling, Ash frowned at the long cut stretched out across the side of his face, and the bloody bruise on his jaw. Tyrunt was smiling, but it was a pained expression, and his breathing was heavy. Quickly taking a cloth out of his backpack to wipe the blood that was leaking from the dinosaur's cut, Ash placed a hand on his youngest friend's head while offering him a soft smile.

"You were amazing out there, Tyrunt. But you deserve a break. Sit back for this next one, okay?"

Tyrunt's responding expression was fairly mixed. Ash could see the disappointment in his eyes, but his smile didn't fade, and the hatchling simply nodded while offering up an understanding chirp.

For as much as Tyrunt had enjoyed the fight, he seemed to grasp his body's limits.

Behind Tyrunt, Valiant placed a hand on his friend's back, giving him a kind smile, which Tyrunt returned while turning his head to look at the Kirlia.

Standing upright (and handing the cloth to Valiant) Ash observed the infant for just a few seconds longer before turning back to Nick.

Tyrunt had a bright future ahead of him, but for now, they had a battle to win.

As he observed the Machop (who had now ceased his hyperactive behavior and simply stood still with a neutral grin and crossed arms), he ran his mind through the possibilities.

Nebula and Valiant would probably have an excellent chance at winning, but Ash didn't want to risk putting Nick at such a huge disadvantage like that. This was a friendly battle, and even if there was money on the line as usual, he did not want to treat it like a "winner takes all" situation. Nick was obviously taking it seriously, and Ash wasn't planning to go easy on him, but he didn't want to risk a victory just being because of a type matchup.

Ash's hand ran across the Poke Balls on his belt, while also looking down at Pikachu, who stood next to Tyrunt.

That left Pikachu, Eevee, and…

Ash's gaze turned thoughtful as Valiant (who was currently reaching forward to wipe Tyrunt's cut) observed him.

His fingers wrapped around one of the Poke Balls, and remained there for a few moments as he stared at Machop.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Ash wracked his brain before removing the orb from his belt.

Enlarging the Poke Ball, and holding it out in front of him, Ash's face turned neutral as Tempest appeared in a flash of light.

Instinctively, Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt took a step back as the vicious Krabby looked around to take in where he was. Once his gaze landed on Machop, however, his face became coated with hunger, pincers clicking as fast as Pikachu could run.

"Tempest!" Ash called out to the River Crab Pokemon as Machop sank into a battle stance, the Fighting Type's expression hardening.

The water type turned his body just enough for Ash to enter his line of vision, but kept his pincers outstretched in his opponent's direction as Ash approached him.

Crouching down, Ash fixed his newest teammate with a neutral expression.

"This is a competition, it's okay for you to let loose now." Ash stated evenly, trying to sound authoritative as Tempest responded with a vigorous nod. The boy's face hardened. "But remember what I said. We need you to cooperate. I want to trust you, and I want them to trust you too." he subtly gestured back towards the others, who were watching the exchange in silence. Looking back at Tempest, he gave a light nod to the Krabby. "So if you want to prove that we can, listen to me in this battle. Show us that you can be a team player, and not just think only for yourself."

Tempest's gaze remained hungry, but a hint of understanding appeared in his eyes as he nodded back at his trainer.

Standing up and backing away, Ash added. "Remember that I'm giving you a chance. And good luck!"

And with that, Tempest turned to face Machop in full, the two combatants locking eyes.

A hint of nervousness passed over Nick's features as he observed the Krabby's behavior, Tempest slowly clicking away with his pincers while sinking into a fighting stance, almost as if ready to pounce.

"Heh. This one looks dangerous. I better end this quickly." his voice raised in volume as he called out to his partner. "Machop! Conductive Strike!"

Nodding in obedience, Machop's fists became coated in metal, which suddenly erupted in electricity. Ash spoke up quickly.

"Defend with Metal Claw!"

Tempest crossed his pincers just as Machop shot forward. The speed of his offense took Ash aback as he observed the exchange.

The electricity obviously came from Thunder Punch, but the metal… maybe Bullet Punch? That would explain the speed.

Machop crashed fist-first into Tempest's metal-coated pincers, the impact produced by the momentum forcing the water type backwards, although the River Crab Pokemon remained unharmed as he went on the counteroffensive.

A stream of glowing bubbles slammed into Machop's torso as the Fighting Type attempted to press his advantage.

Ash nodded in approval. "Good, now catch him with Vise Grip!"

With eagerness, Tempest was making his way towards Machop even before the Bubble Beam had stopped firing, his left pincer wide open and ready to chomp down on his target.

Nick sensed the danger immediately. "Protect yourself with Bullet Punch!"

One of Machop's fists became coated with metal once more, the Fighting Type purposely holding it out in the pincer's path. Nick's partner squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as Tempest's powerful grip clenched firmly against the protective metal coating, the exterior shielding Machop's fist struggling against the painful pressure.

Much like Tyrunt's jaw, Tempest's pincers had a powerful grip to them. That was paying off now.

Acting quickly, Ash called out. "Water Pulse, with the other pincer!" With Machop trapped in Tempest's hold, this was their chance to score a hit point-blank.

Machop's eyes widened fearfully as Tempest held his other pincer in front of the Fighting Type's face, the claw opening up to reveal a growing orb of aquatic aura. It was like he had his opponent at gunpoint.

However, Ash mentally kicked himself upon hearing Nick's panicked response.

"Thunder Punch! With the fist he grabbed!"

'Damnit!' thought Ash. How had he not seen this coming?! It was literally the strategy that they had used to beat Tempest in the first place!

One moment, the fist that Tempest's pincer was mercilessly clenching down on erupted with electricity. The next instant, Tempest's eyes bulged in agony as the lightning filled his pincer's interior.

As the Krabby screamed, his grip on Machop was immediately lost, the fighting type ignoring the pain in his fist and coating the other in electricity, thrusting a Thunder Punch into Tempest's stomach.

The blow certainly hurt, but thankfully didn't do much more than push Tempest back a few feet, the River Crab pokemon nearly falling backwards before regaining his balance and returning his attention to his opponent.

Tempest had the durability of a steel type Pokemon, thanks to his Shell Armor ability.

Nevertheless, the expression in his eyes was still somewhat pained, the pincer still aching from the shock that Machop had pulsed through its insides. Thankfully, it wasn't a paralyzing Thunder Wave, but it was much more painful.

Ash made a mental note not to use Vise Grip again in this fight. It had been a mistake that should have been avoided, and wouldn't be repeated.

Thankfully, Machop hadn't come out of the exchange unscathed, either, clutching the sore fist that had been snatched by his opponent's Vise Grip. Both Pokemon had pain in their gazes as they locked eyes with one another, although Tempest's expression was still more aggressive as usual.

Machop snapped out of it at the sound of Nick's next order. "Bulk Up!"

Ignoring the aching in his fist, Machop straightened his posture, before raising his arms as his body began to glow in an orange aura. His muscles began to bulge outward, fluctuating several times before settling into a firm position, the orange aura remaining around his body in a more faint glow.

Machop fixed Tempest with a steady glare, and Ash wondered if Nick had picked up on Tempest's strong defenses from that last attack.

Either way, they needed to be the aggressors here.

"Tempest, Flail!"

Stretching his pincers outward, Tempest rushed forward towards his target, moving at speeds unexpected for his species as his body began to rotate. Just as Machop attempted to react, a clenched pincer was embedded into his gut. The powerful muscles of Bulk Up cushioned the blow, but the fighting type still found himself keeling over somewhat, staggering backwards.

"Water Gun!"

"Injection!"

Ash perked up in bewilderment at the name of the technique, but as he watched Machop swerve to the side and avoid the jets of water that sprayed from Tempest's now open pincers, his eyes widened at Machop's response: Lifting a metal-coated fist, which quickly became engulfed in a purple aura.

A combination of the blazing fast Bullet Punch and the toxins of Poison Jab.

"Scald, hurry!" Ash's voice was somewhat desperate as Machop began to advance forward, just about to spring for Tempest and drive the poisonous fist into his gut.

Until streams of boiling hot water escaped from the River Crab's pincers, and Machop's attack halted as a screech of pain echoed across the arena.

Tempest had just learned Scald recently, without much time to practice, so the force behind the streams was limited, but they had still disrupted Machop's movements just enough for the fighting type's move to fizzle out, as Nick's eyes widened in surprise.

They had been on the receiving end of the potent water type move more than once, but now, it was on their side.

"Water Pulse!" Ash pressed the advantage.

Machop was bowled over by the impact of the two aquatic orbs that struck him point-blank, launching a few feet backwards before landing on his back, quickly picking himself up as Tempest prepared to advance.

But Ash called out to Tempest. "Keep him at bay with Bubble Beam!"

Tempest was a bit frustrated about not charging in for the finish right away, but complied with an irritated grunt, a barrage of bubbles escaping from his pincers and threatening to pelt Machop.

The fighting type's head was minimally bruised from the impact from the Water Pulses, but he was forced to ignore the pain and react as quickly as possible, coating his fists in metal and crossing them defensively to intercept the bubble barrage. The force of the bubbles threatened to push him back, slowly making him wobble, but he remained steadfast in face of the onslaught. A few moments later, the fists began to crackle with lightning, the bubbles exploding against the electricity before they could make full contact with their target.

Ash didn't waver. "Close the distance, while using Mud Shot. Then Metal Claw!"

Eyes briefly flashing with joy at finally being able to rush in, Tempest gleefully charged forward, the barrage of bubbles ceasing, only to be replaced by two balls of mud just a few moments later.

Machop remained mostly unfazed by the attack, even as some of the mud splashed onto his torso and face, but the lightning coating his fists was absorbed by the impact as the Mud Shot crashed into him.

With the threat of the electricity now removed, Tempest, now right in front of the fighting type, raised his pincer, coating it in metal in preparation for the decisive strike.

"Low Kick, then Brick Break!" Tempest was startled as Machop's foot suddenly shot out, the growing metallic coating on his pincer threatening to fade as the River Crab stumbled back.

Bending his knees, Machop prepared to rush forward, raising an orange glowing fist and leaning in to strike-

Tempest's other pincer became coated in metal mere moments after the counterattack had sent him staggering away. Just as Machop lunged in and drove his fist forward, he was struck in the face by the Metal Claw, his head pounding with pain from the feeling of solid, metal coating slamming into his face, and crying out briefly as the force violently pushed him away. Knocked cleanly off of his feet, the fighting type landed on his back, briefly attempting to raise his head and shoulders before collapsing backwards again. A large gash was left on his face from the attack, which Ash was briefly able to see from his attempt to pick himself up.

For the moments of silence that followed, Machop remained motionless as Tempest loomed over his fallen opponent, pincers raised and clicking as if daring his adversary to get up.

Then Nick's partner disappeared in a flash of crimson light.

The River Crab's eyes blinked a few times, before they filled with triumph. Pincers were raised towards the sky as a victorious battle cry was sent echoing across the arena.

Ash's eyes lit up, pumping an arm down as his face burst into a grin. "Congrats, Tempest, you won!" He wasn't sure if the water type could hear him, however, and watched with some bewilderment as the crab-like creature seemingly danced across the arena, occasionally letting jets of water loose into the air. As Tempest relished in his success, Ash's attention turned behind him, to Pikachu, Valiant, and Tyrunt.

Their expressions were fairly neutral, and although they seemed pleased that their side had won, Ash had taken note that there hadn't been any cheering or encouragement during this portion of the battle.

Nick's face was dumbfounded for a moment, but eventually returned to its usual grin as he made his way towards Ash's group (going along the perimeter of the arena in hopes of staying out of Tempest's way).

His voice caught Ash's attention as he approached. "Whoa, that was something else! It was like we didn't even stand a chance!" he shuffled his feet in embarrassment as he stopped in front of the other trainer. "Heh, maybe I wasn't ready to challenge you. That Krabby of yours was crazy."

Ash's face formed into an uneasy grin. "Ha, thanks… he wasn't an easy capture, I can say that."

"Well, that makes me feel better!" The green haired rookie responded, face and tone surprisingly chipper for somebody who had just lost (although Ash appreciated the good sportsmanship). Taking out a Pokedex with a fiery orange aesthetic that perfectly matched his outfit, he began scrolling through the touchscreen. "Welp, I owe you some winnings, right?"

Nodding, Ash took out his own Pokedex and accepted the payment with thanks. As the two tucked the devices away, Nick's arm extended out in front of Ash, who accepted the handshake. As the two separated, he offered Ash a friendly wave. "Anyway, I gotta drop my buddies off at the counter. See ya around!" Before Ash could get another in, he was left somewhat bewildered as the energetic boy dashed for the door, returning inside with what was practically a flash.

'He seems to take everything in stride.' Ash thought to himself, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. He wasn't sure if he could keep up with Nick's behavior if they had interacted long-term, but the other boy had made decent company in the moment.

Now alone with his team, the boy's eyes briefly returned to Tempest, who was still celebrating his victory, before looking back at the others. A somewhat unsure expression adorned his features as he watched Pikachu and Valiant observe the Krabby, both of them (especially Valiant) appearing notably doubtful. Tyrunt's attention was on the door that Nick had gone through, and the smile on the hatchling's face brightened Ash's mood a bit, as the Royal Heir Pokemon reminisced about the battle with Sandshrew that he had just won. Looking back at Tempest, Ash inwardly sighed to himself.

There was no miracle cure, as he was well aware. But as long as he could prevent any further incidents, it shouldn't be a problem.

But Ash shook those thoughts away for now, instead making his way towards his youngest team member, crouching down to meet Tyrunt's eyes as the hatchling noticed his presence.

"Great job out there again, buddy." Tyrunt hummed with pleasure as Ash's hand rubbed the top of his head. "I guess we're not just practicing anymore with you, huh?" the boy chuckled. At Tyrunt's eager, responding chatter, the rookie nodded affirmatively.

Tyrunt was still young, but he wouldn't be a hatchling forever. And he had proved himself today. They had taken the leap, and landed perfectly.

And looking at Pikachu and Valiant, Ash could tell that they agreed.

Memories of the egg that Elacia had given him flashed into his mind. He owed her more than ever after this.

Taking out a Poke Ball, Ash held the orb out in front of his youngest friend with an approving thumbs-up.

"Well, since it's all official now, welcome to the team, Tyrunt."

Tyrunt offered a nod with a happy grunt as he pushed his head against the button. An instant later, a bright flash of white light carried him in.

Standing upright, Ash smiled fondly at the orb for a few seconds, images of the eager hatchling training at Bill's place rolling through his mind. With a satisfied grin, he nodded to himself before returning the Poke Ball to his belt.

Ash glanced at Pikachu and Valiant before returning his attention to Tempest, who was still practically in his own world as he continued to revel in glory. With a light chuckle, Ash commented. "I suppose we can let him indulge for a few more minutes…" he returned his focus back to Pikachu and Valiant, nodding at them. "But after that, we'll have to leave him and Tyrunt with Nurse Joy, and then go over to the Poke Mart like we planned. You two want to stay out?

Pikachu's response was to dash up to Ash's shoulders, offering him a friendly chirp and a grin.

Valiant nodded back with a smile of his own. "Lead the way."

A very brief comment. It would be a long time before the Emotion Pokemon could offer much more than that, but for now, as long as he kept it short and sweet, it wouldn't be a problem.

Ash smiled at his companions, Pikachu leaning into his touch as the rookie gently scratched underneath the mouse's chin. The boy's gaze lingered on the door that led back inside to the Pokemon Center.

Saffron was a place of many options for all who set foot in it, and for some, the lack of linearity could be overwhelming.

But it was also an opportunity. One that encouraged far more preplanning from nearly any trainer who set foot in the famous metropolis. And in the group's first visit, Ash had made more than just one decision.

But just as always, the groundwork that had been laid out for the road ahead, no matter how potent, could only be approached with one step at a time. Starting with Vermillion City.