The darkness slowly began to give out to light as Ash's eyes fluttered open.
Where was he?
He wasn't in the caverns anymore. He was gazing up at a pure, white ceiling with an overhead light. The room was comfortably lit all around. Nothing like the dim, darkness of the caverns of Mt. Moon.
Looking off to his side, he saw a window at the end of the room. Raindrops rolled down the glass.
What had happened?
The memories. They all came rushing to the surface at once, against his will. The Rockets that had chased him and Misty throughout the mountain, Valiant's evolution, the cave in-
Ash suddenly jolted upwards in his bed as panic filled his mind.
What had happened to them?! Where were they?! Where-
He felt something brush against his arm, and turned to see Valiant at his side, Eevee slightly behind the newly evolved Kirlia.
Valiant was looking at him with relief, as though a great deal of stress had been lifted off of his chest. Looking over at Eevee, her face seemed very troubled. Shaken.
Ash couldn't let the relief flow through him for too long, however. Valiant and Eevee were okay, but where was Misty? And what about the Egg in his backpack? And-
"Thank the Guardian Mew, you're awake." Ash, Valiant, and Eevee turned to see Nurse Joy entering the room. The look on her face sent a surge of warmth through his body, her voice like a soft, warm blanket wrapping around his body as her hand briefly rested on his shoulder. The tension in his muscles intensified for a split second, before subsiding in gradual relief. "Your friend Misty woke up a little while ago. She's speaking to Elite Four Karen and Officer Jenny right now."
Ash nodded as his racing heart slowly began to calm, not processing the soothing woman's words as fast as his mind.
"Is all of my stuff intact?" he asked nervously. "I had a couple teammates still in their Poke Balls, and an Egg-"
"They're all fine." she quickly cut him off with a raised hand. Her face was neutral, but her voice remained as comforting and relieving as ever. "Your Pikachu and Staravia are recovering from their injuries. Misty says that they got knocked out by a Scizor. Your Egg isn't damaged. You were teleported out of the cave before any of the rocks could damage it. I looked it over as thoroughly and compulsively as possible to make sure it was unscathed, and its actually due to hatch soon."
It was Valiant's evolution all over again. Ash normally would have been over the moon to hear that the mysterious Egg of theirs was going to be hatching soon, but with everything that had happened today…
Still, Ash finally allowed the sense of relief to overcome him as Nurse Joy filled him in.
According to her, he and Misty had passed out from a panic attack when the cave in started. That Iron-Masked Marauder guy had caused the entire cavern to collapse so that he could teleport away in the chaos while Karen and the League were preoccupied. Karen and her soldiers had managed to teleport all of them to safety, but apparently several Rockets had already been discovered in the rubble. Not all of them had been able to escape.
Right now, they were at the Pokemon Center in between Mt. Moon and Cerulean City. He had been out for about three hours now. But he was here. Away from harm. Away from the Rockets. Away from that horrible monster in a mask. Away from it all.
What still made him feel stressed was Nurse Joy revealing that most of the trainers that had been held hostage by the Rockets were still unaccounted for. No confirmed deaths or serious injuries, thankfully, as the cave in hadn't reached them, but it also made it more difficult for the League to get to them. The soldiers were currently in the middle of rescuing and retrieving them, while keeping an eye out for any remaining Rockets. Karen was planning to join them soon.
Team Rocket's reason for taking over the mountain was to steal the Moon Stone. Ash had heard of it before. It was said to be the origin of the evolutionary stone of the same name, and was also fabled in legend to be made of magical, and one-of-a-kind material that could power up Pokemon. Team Rocket's plan was probably to try and harness the power of the legendary rock, and potentially sell it on the black market to make money off of the material if the rumors turned out to be false.
The terrorists had apparently gained access to what was supposed to be secret information regarding the mountain's layout, taking what they thought was the quickest path to the Moon Stone. Nobody had any idea how they had gotten ahold of such vital info, but thankfully, there was even more advanced information that they didn't have access to. Additional secret paths that only people of Karen's rank even knew existed. The League's forces had made use of this info to reach the Moon Stone before the Rockets could, although the squad that had been sent to steal the legendary rock had apparently retreated after Marauder did.
Now it was the League's turn to place the mountain under lockdown, and Karen's squad hadn't been the only one to pursue the Rockets, either. Apparently Brock had led a team of his own on the other entrance to the caverns. The entire mountain had been placed under siege to trap the Rockets in, forcing them to teleport away. But since only a select few of them had the means to do so, the majority were sitting ducks.
"Do you have any other questions, Mr. Ketchum?" Nurse Joy's voice remained gentle and sincere, having delivered the entire story as precisely, yet delicately as possible.
Ash gave her a grateful smile, trying to mask his sadness but not quite succeeding, and shook his head.
"I'm fine for now. Thank you."
She still seemed to be concerned, but gave him a kind smile nonetheless.
"I'm glad. I'll go tell them you're awake. Misty wasn't happy about having to leave you while you were still unconscious. Your Kirlia needed to persuade her."
Ash gave Valiant a curious glance, and recieved a simple shrug in response. He patted the Kirlia's head in thanks as Nurse Joy exited the room.
"Thanks for everything you did today, pal." he did his best to put on a kind smile as he looked between his two friends. Valiant was now a decent deal taller than Eevee, standing at about a foot taller than he previously had been as a Ralts. "You even saved Eevee."
Eevee brushed against the Kirlia a bit, the young psychic turning his head to face her at the contact.
Ash suddenly flinched as the image of Eevee nearly getting pulverized by Gabite's Dragon Pulse entered his mind. And his face paled as he remembered the image of that Tyranitar…
He felt Valiant brushing against his arm again, and even Eevee made a gesture of her own, lightly licking at his skin. He offered them a grateful smile.
They weren't at Mt. Moon anymore. And Ash didn't plan on going back anytime soon. He'd take the Viridian Forest over that any day.
"Congratulations on evolving, Valiant." Ash attempted to ease himself further by bringing up something good. "I'll bet you're a lot stronger, now, but you're probably hungry, right?"
Valiant pointed to a desk besides the bed. An empty bag of Pokemon food was sitting there. So Nurse Joy had already fed him. No doubt the evolution had upped his appetite considerably for the moment. He'd have to feed Valiant extra food for a while.
Not to mention the food that they would need for the baby Pokemon when it hatched. Would it be a big eater?
"Ash?!" the door flew open, and the trio turned to see Misty bolting into the room. She appeared unscathed, to his relief, and her face lit up upon seeing him awake.
"Hey, Misty." he raised a hand to wave to her, hoping to quell any remaining concerns that his new friend might have. "I'm glad you're okay." It seemed to work, and the girl became a little less frantic as she approached him.
"Whew, likewise." She took a seat next to his bed. "Karen just got done questioning me when Nurse Joy told us you were awake. You sure you're okay?"
The frown on her face almost felt foreign. Knowing Gary, he probably would have been disappointed that Tyranitar hadn't devoured him.
Ash mustered a smile "Misty, I'm fine, really." he took a breath. "How are you?"
Her muscles tensed at the question as she struggled to offer even a sad grin. "I'm... no worse than you, I promise."
He wanted to say more, but all attention in the room quickly returned to the door as it opened once more, and Ash immediately gawked as the newcomer stepped inside.
It was Karen.
The dark Master's face displayed an uneasily gentle grin as her eyes fell on him. "Hey, kiddo. Good to see you're alright. Had to borrow your friend for a moment."
Ash felt the largest gulp of his life in his throat, and his face suddenly grew hot.
The Karen was right in front of him. The winner of his favorite Conference (and tournament) ever. One of the five people who helmed the Indigo Plateau, representing everything he aspired for himself to become. The third strongest trainer across Indigo's entirety at only eighteen years of age, and one of the Pokemon world's greatest and most famous prodigies. Not to mention she wasn't exactly ugly…
"K-Karen of the Elite Four…" he choked out weakly as he suddenly felt sweat rolling down his cheeks. Valiant and Eevee looked at him with mild concern while Misty just snorted. Although, there was an undetected hint of gentleness in the orange-haired girl's eyes.
Brushing a strand of silvery-blue hair aside, the young woman smiled cheekily at Ash's expression. "Settle down there, kid. I could do without the formalities. The old hag's always trying to shove them down my throat. Your name is Ash, wasn't it?"
Old hag? Was she talking about Agatha?
Trying to straighten himself a bit, Ash nodded nervously. "Y-Yeah. That's me."
Karen nodded. Magnificence radiated from her very presence in the room, clashing with her friendly expression. "Nurse Joy said she filled you in on everything while I was talking to your friend here." she glanced at Misty. "I was going to check on you anyway before I left. Sorry about…" Her face turned apologetic and sincere. "Well, everything, really."
"It… wasn't because of you." Ash was starting to find his words, but the heat in his face persisted.
"I know it wasn't." the woman responded. She shifted in place, running a hand through her beautiful hair. "But you kids shouldn't have had to go through the crap that just went down. Team Rocket has been surprisingly active this Season, but this was definitely one of their most large scale operations. I never thought they'd try to seize an entire mountain like that." her face suddenly darkened, losing some of its elegance. "And I definitely didn't expect them to have hired that piece of human filth into their ranks."
She was talking about the masked man that had led the raid, Ash quickly realized.
"You… know a lot about him?" He asked uneasily.
"Never met the guy until today." she admitted. "But you can't be someone of my position and not have heard of such a high-profile criminal. We receive updated lists of the most wanted people out there fairly frequently. He's incredibly high, and among the Pokemon hunters specifically, currently second to the top."
Ash winced, almost in genuine pain. So this day really had been a close call, even moreso than he had realized beforehand.
"He escaped, right?" he asked nervously.
"Yeah." Misty answered with a frown. Suddenly, her face was dark as well. "Karen told me everything. Apparently that bastard caused the entire cave in just so he could flee while we were all distracted. He didn't even care whether or not his own men were able to make it out with him. And all of those Pokemon were still scattered across the room after our fight. He just left them all to die there, when they weren't even awake to even try and escape."
A new sensation of fear surged through Ash's chest. Someone like that who held their own "comrades" in so little value certainly wouldn't be the type to lose any amount of sleep over killing anyone else. He almost pitied the rest of the Rockets for being stuck under the command of such a man. Was it selfish that his own relief for being alive overtook that pity, however?
The Rockets had tried to kill him, Misty, and their friends. Many would say that they had gotten their own due karma, killed and backstabbed by their own superior in the middle of a full blown operation the very moment that things got tough for them. But even thinking along those lines disgusted Ash.
An evil human was still a human. A Pokemon being commanded by a terrorist organization was still a Pokemon. Were all of those Rockets truly deserving of death? And what about the Pokemon? They could very easily range from taking after their own trainers, to just being loyal and following orders.
How much evil could somebody commit before it was appropriate for their death to be celebrated? Where was that line drawn? Could taking joy in somebody else's demise ever, truly, be justified?
Ash felt his head start to hurt.
"You alright?" he heard Misty ask him gently. Turning to her, her expression was... soft.
Ash attempted a reassuring smile. "Sorry, zoned out for a moment."
"You do that a lot." She sounded more sympathetic than exasperated.
"It's understandable." the two turned their attention to Karen again. "I recommend that you two take it easy for a couple of days. Cerulean City is a day or less away from here if you walk, so it won't be a long trip, but you really should get everything together before you get back on the road." her expression darkened again for a moment. "And don't worry about that damned hunter. He's just added another Region on his list of places where he's wanted; and another League to the list of those who are after him. Now that we know that he's here, the Indigo League's entire empire is coming down on him."
"Good." Misty's tone of voice turned fierce, reflecting her aggressive expression as though a switch had been flipped, and a chill shot down Ash's spine. "Throw him in a cell for all I care. Or a coffin. Whichever one's more convenient for you."
"Easy there, kiddo." Karen's expression softened. "I get that you're angry, but you shouldn't have to be the one to think such things." She looked between the two kids, along with Valiant and Eevee. "Your journeys are supposed to be an experience you'll never forget. Memories that will be carried with you forever. I'm sorry Team Rocket has tainted those memories today." she sighed. "The best advice that I can give is to stay as far away from them as possible. And do everything that you can to notify the authorities if they ever do strike. I know today, that wasn't possible for you, but just advice for the future. For now, just get some rest, and once you're situated, try to focus on making memories that are worth remembering. I'll do everything in my power to ensure that those who try to ruin those memories won't get away with it."
Ash looked at the Elite Four member in awe, the red returning to his cheeks.
'She's just as amazing as she is on television.' He thought to himself. 'I'll bet the others are, too.'
Staying here a couple of days or so was for the best, too. To give them time to recuperate, not to mention Valiant will have a chance to break in his evolution. And the Egg was about to hatch, too.
Karen nodded at him. "Ash, the police and I have already spoken to Misty, so we won't have to pull you away. You two just hang tight. I gotta get back to the mountain and get to work. See you around." flashing them a smile that sparked more heat in Ash's face, the dark Master bid farewell with a casual wave. "For the record, you were fairly impressive to hold out for as long as you did. Keep on growing stronger, okay?"
"Thanks for helping us!" Ash quickly called out as the door closed behind her.
Misty sighed as she turned back to the boy. "Well, that's one way to meet one of the greatest trainers in the world."
"Yeah…" barely hearing her, Ash trailed off absentmindedly as he continued to stare at the door.
He had actually met Karen… The circumstances were awful but… he had actually spoken to her face to face. She had even said his name! He wondered what she thought of him. Should he tell his mother about this? Wait, but then she'd know about the Rockets. Should he change the story or-
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"You're spacing out again, aren't you?" he jolted in the hospital bed at Misty's deadpan declaration.
"S-Sorry about that!" his face felt like it was on fire. Hearing a couple of giggles off to his side, he frowned in defeat as he saw Valiant and Eevee gazing up at him in amusement.
Misty rolled her eyes in mild annoyance, but offered a friendly grin to her new friend. "Whatever, I'll give you a pass for now." she rose from her seat. "Anyway, you still tired? Nurse Joy said she'll register a room for us when we're ready."
Ash slowly made his way out of the hospital bed, but felt a light rumbling in his stomach.
"Actually…" he started as Valiant and Eevee both made their way behind him. "I think I could go for something to eat. What time is it?"
"Early evening." said Misty thoughtfully. Her smile returned. "Alright, cafeteria it is, then. Let's get going." she gestured towards the door as she made her way out of the room, Ash, Valiant, and Eevee in tow.
Yes… some food would do all of them quite well, right now.
/
In an unknown location, the Iron-Masked Marauder sat on top of a hill, a few of the other Rockets down at the bottom. In this area, there was no rain, although it was still mostly cloudy. A few, occasional holes in the clouds made way for the stars in the night sky. The soldiers at the bottom of the hill were currently keeping themselves entertained with a game of cards while they awaited further instructions.
The masked man was currently gazing at a laptop, conversing with the frustrated figure on the other end.
"So this is what I have to expect from the legendary hunter himself?" Archer snarled at the fairly unintimidated Pokemon hunter. "Several of my men dead because of your own worthless actions, and no Moon Stone to even speak of it?!" he leaned back in his chair, a look of disgust on his face. "Honestly, I don't even know what to say. Your first mission ended in failure, and first impressions mean a lot when you're a part of Team Rocket. Yours isn't exactly… ideal, I'll have you know."
Marauder snorted, fairly unimpressed. "And what were you expecting, commander? That things would go off without a hitch once that dark type bitch showed up? You of all people would know that there isn't a soul within this organization that could stand against the likes of Karen. Most people in the world would have better luck trying to touch the roof of a skyscraper than win against someone like her. The mission was over the moment she showed up." he crossed his arms dismissively. "You run a large scale terrorist organization, for crying out loud. You're one of the smart ones, right? So there's no way you're ignorant enough to deny something like that. Escaping was the only success that we could expect from ourselves at that point."
"That may be true…" Archer's face remained sharp. "But your little escape method sacrificed almost every soldier in the room with you. And now the rest of our members in the mountain will get rounded up by the League in no time." his glare turned dangerous. "That woman better not have been overselling you, Iron-Masked Marauder."
A confident grin spread across Marauder's masked face. "Tch, as if, Commander. You've seen the rankings for yourself, haven't you? Besides…" he leaned forward towards the screen. Archer was not intimidated, or even responsive. "The President is a perfectionist. Flaws of any kind are a sinful blemish to her." his grin widened. "So… knowing that, do you really think that I would be in her good graces if my reputation was even remotely exaggerated?
"I suppose not." Archer admitted, although his stern facial expression did not change.
A satisfied Marauder leaned back away from the screen. "Really, I'd say that it speaks for itself, so wouldn't you too? Besides, Cyan, and most of the other soldiers at the mountain, were far from irreplaceable. As were the Pokemon that died or were taken by the League's forces. It's just an inconvenience to you. Most of the worthwhile soldiers made it out in one piece, and sometimes, a few sacrifices here and there are necessary to ensure that."
"There's no need to lecture me about sacrifice, Hunter." Archer's tone was serious. "I've made more sacrifices in my life than someone in your own line of work would in order to get to where I currently am today. And I will continue to make those sacrifices tenfold, in order to tear down Indigo's empire and put this era to an end."
Marauder smirked, although a small part of his smile was actually surprisingly genuine. "Heh, looking forward to that, Commander. Truth be told, I'm actually quite excited for the show that's to come."
"Only because you have minimal personal stakes in it." Archer snorted. "As long as you just keep on looking out for yourselves and are never caught, you, that clown, and everyone else who was loaned to us could just go running right back over to your usual employer if our cause ends up failing. It's not all or nothing for you guys like it is for the rest of us."
Behind the mask, Marauder rolled his eyes. "Perhaps you have a point, but that doesn't mean I'm not dedicated. I chose to come here, did I not? She only recommended me to you. You were the one who took her up on the offer, and I was the one who took you up on yours. And the same goes for everyone else. not to mention..." a flame lit up in his eyes behind the mask. "The long-term mission that you have planned... Operation Origin, you called it?" his tongue almost licked his lips as he crossed his arms with confidence. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. Not the universe, not every ounce of money on the planet. We are fully committed to lending our strength to Team Rocket. I promise you."
Archer's eyes narrowed. "Very well, but remember that I've got my eye on you. All of you. But for now, report to the nearest base, along with the rest of the soldiers that are currently with you, and remain there until further orders are given to all of you."
Marauder nodded. "Understood, Commander."
The connection cut off.
/
The rain continued to fall outside of the Pokemon Center. It was now late in the night, and the dark clouds along with the absence of daylight made the area outside practically pitch black as the once modest rain turned into a downpour.
As it was meant for two people, Ash and Misty's room was quite spacious, with two beds roughly a couple of meters apart from one another. Misty had picked the bed that was closer to the window, which provided a somber view of the rain falling outside. They were on the second floor of the Center, so the view was fairly good.
The two friends had finished eating before getting their room key from Nurse Joy. Pikachu and Nebula had also finished recovering. Once they had settled into their new room, they had each taken turns taking showers and changing into their pajamas.
The two friends were seated a couple of feet apart on Ash's bed, Ash on the very end and Misty on the side, looking off towards the window. Her orange hair was down, and she looked quite different without her usual side ponytail.
Their respective teams were currently spread out across the room as well. Each with their own selected spots to spend the night at. Misty's Eevee had selected Misty's bed as her resting spot, while Nebula was at the windowsill as usual. Pikachu was lying down next to Ash on his bed. Valiant sat next to the young mouse, looking off at the Pokemon Egg that was currently resting in a blanket on the desk ahead of them. Ash's own Eevee had curled up on a pillow near Ash's bed, with Jigglypuff choosing to accompany her on a pillow of her own. Piplup and Staryu each had their own respective pillows nearby Misty's own bed.
Despite the sleeping arrangements for the group being in place, everyone was still awake, albeit fairly relaxed for the most part. Misty's Eevee and Jigglypuff, having not been part of the incident from today, had the easiest time settling down, and Pikachu and Nebula were rejuvenated from their treatment. Nevertheless, Ash's mouse and bird duo were far from mentally relaxed. The healed muscles in their bodies certainly gave them a soothing feeling, but their brains kept flashing back to the ordeal from today.
But it was Ash, Misty, Valiant, Staryu, Piplup, and Ash's Eevee who were the most affected. All had been present for the cave collapse, which kept replaying through their minds on occasion.
Ash and Misty would often remind themselves (and occasionally each other) that they weren't in Mt Moon's caverns anymore. That it was over. They were no longer seemingly trapped within endless caves, with only limited sources of light that almost ironically reminded them of how dark that it actually was, and with rocks surrounding them from every direction, including above and below them. That they were not dealing with Team Rocket anymore. That they were within the safety of the Pokemon Center, with hospitality and luxury to soothe them and help them recover from their traumatic ordeal.
But every now and then, images of the cave in would fill their minds. Even within the security of the Center, the recollection of the falling rocks, pursuing Team Rocket soldiers, and towering Tyranitar would constantly make itself known. It heightened their appreciation for the Pokemon Center's comfort, while simultaneously making it much more difficult for them to actually enjoy it. Every now and then, even during their casual interactions with one another, there was a lingering fear in the back of both trainers' minds that the sound of the raindrops outside would be replaced with shouting Team Rocket soldiers and a roaring Tyranitar, and that the perfectly normal ceiling above their heads would suddenly be replaced with falling rocks that threatened to end them.
Valiant's absentminded expression told Ash that he was having the same thoughts, and the young boy wouldn't be too surprised if the rest of the Pokemon that were present for the cave in were too.
But the growing fatigue thankfully made it a bit more difficult to dwell on such fear and paranoia, although neither trainer was ready to go to sleep just yet. Settling into the Pokemon Center had certainly relaxed their nerves, but their minds still dwelled on the traumatic events of the day, and in general, they still weren't tired enough to hurry under the covers of their respective beds.
They weren't really doing anything at the moment. The television wasn't on, and neither of the young trainers were distracting themselves with any tasks of sorts.
Just enjoying the fact that they were in the Pokemon Center's hotel room, and not the deep caverns of Mt. Moon.
Still, neither of them were quite enjoying the silence anymore, and Misty broke the ice.
"You know." she said, looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "We really are lucky that they apparently used up most of their stronger Pokemon on all of the other Trainers. Can you imagine what would have happened if…" she trailed off knowingly.
"Yeah…" Ash responded. "Speaking of which… How do you think it's going for the League? Rescuing the other Trainers, I mean?"
"We can always ask Nurse Joy tomorrow, I suppose." Misty nodded. "I was thinking too, anyway. I'm sure they're all fine, though. The worst is over, right?" it almost sounded like she was trying to convince herself of such. "Besides, I'm sure the League has done this plenty of times before, and now they have a member of the Elite Four with them. It should be a piece of cake."
Ash nodded in response. He really shouldn't be worrying, right? Karen and the rest of the Elite Four were all perfect. And so was Champion Lance. They had never failed before. Retrieving the trainers trapped in the caverns would be effortless for them. Right?
Deciding to change the subject, Ash turned his head towards his friend. "So… are you happy to go back to Cerulean?" he certainly found himself missing Pallet Town, even with the constant calls with his mom. He honestly felt just a little bit jealous that Misty would already be able to pay a visit to her own home city. He would really love to see his mother in person.
To his surprise, however, Misty was wearing a conflicted frown. "Eh… it's no big deal. Personally I wouldn't mind if it took a little bit longer."
Ash raised a brow. "But… aren't you happy to be going back to somewhere that you know? To see your family or-"
Misty laughed a bit. "That kind of stuff can wait. My family isn't really anything to get excited about. If anything, I was glad to be off on my own."
Now Ash was REALLY confused. He couldn't imagine being glad to leave any family behind. Throughout his childhood, Delia was mostly all that he had. Trucy was the main outlier, but he would have never been able to become a Pokemon trainer without the support from his mom.
But... he tried to consider. Misty probably didn't have the kind of life that he did. She was a confident and pretty girl, who likely wasn't targeted by her own peers, and, given her mannerisms, probably wouldn't have taken half the crap that Gary and his cronies had thrown at Ash himself. She likely had a far better social life than he did. Or, at the very least, a much less antagonistic one.
Even so, Ash couldn't really fathom why she wouldn't be over the moon to see her own family. And if not them… wouldn't she have any close friends that she was looking forward to seeing again?
"What about… friends?" Ash asked carefully. "I'm sure you-"
"I have friends." she confirmed casually. "But seeing them again means seeing my folks again, and I can do without that." she crossed her arms. "Obviously, I need to get that badge from the Gym, but that's all that I'm really excited about. I'll be in and out of the Gym and off on my journey again. Besides, my friends won't really need anything more than a quick hello."
Ash was suddenly curious, in an uncharacteristic manner that caught him off guard, but he didn't want to pry. He'd known her for two days. It wasn't his place. It didn't stop his curiosity, but he did his best to push that away.
Misty's personal life was her own. He had no reason to try and barge in. So he would not.
"You know," he perked up at her voice. "A couple friends of mine might like to see you. They're both pretty big fans of foreign Pokemon, and one of them is also a pretty big Pikachu fan. Meeting your team would practically guarantee a good day for them."
Ash turned himself away from the Egg, which Valiant remained focused on, albeit absentmindedly, to face Misty's direction. Her offer took him by surprise, but he couldn't stop the small smile that made its way to his face as he looked over at her. "Heh, I guess I could do that. Wouldn't hurt. Are they planning to be Pokemon trainers?"
"Coordinators, specifically." Misty responded.
Coordinators. They were a different class of Pokemon tainer who competed in Pokemon Contests. Although not as big as the Conference, they were easily, far and away the second most popular form of Pokemon training. The world of Pokemon Contests was still fairly young compared to the traditional form of Pokemon training, but it had quickly become a tradition in its own right.
Although the Sinnoh Region was still very easily the Pokemon Contest capital of the world (some aspiring Coordinators even heading over to Sinnoh at the start of their respective journeys even if they were not actually from the Region), Kanto and Hoenn had saw great traction over the past decade or so, and Johto was beginning to build a fairly sizable Pokemon Contest scene for itself. Apparently Kalos had also adopted its own profession that had its own similarities to the traditional Pokemon Coordinator sport.
Sometimes, Ash had entertained the idea of entering a Contest for himself, just to try it out. He wasn't too sure if he would or not, yet, though. It could be an enjoyable distraction to do for fun, but he would need to find the appropriate time to do so. Not to mention, he had never been in front of a very large crowd before, but this was something that he would already need to get used to for the Conference if he wanted to make it to the Indigo Plateau this Season. Perhaps, in that sense, it would be great practice for it?
"That sounds like a fun goal to have." the commented, suddenly hoping to keep the conversation going. "It's probably not as stressful, either." Not as stressful as what traditional Pokemon training has to offer. But still equally involved and committed.
"Yeah, it has its appeal." Misty admitted. "But if I'm going to become the greatest Water Type Pokemon trainer ever, then I need to focus on the stressful stuff. Those two buddies of mine are a bit more interested in the flashy, performance-like nature of Pokemon Contests, but I'm planning on mastering the typing." she looked up towards the ceiling in thought. "Obviously I'm not just restricting myself to it, but it's definitely what I want to focus on."
Ash giggled a bit. "I'm surprised your delving into it so early. It's not usual for a beginner. Because they-"
"Need to have prior experience to cover the weaknesses of the typing?" Misty finished for him. She snorted. "Heard that before, buster. Maybe it's the safer option to take, but head starts have their own benefits. You can't reach the top without being fearless."
Ash blinked. It was… certainly not an incorrect ideology to have.
"You're bold." he blurted out. He chuckled a bit. "It's honestly kind of scary."
Misty shot him a dirty look. "Oh? So now I'm scary because I have agency? You've got a long way to go if you get intimidated that easily."
Ash raised his hands defensively. "That's not what I meant! I'm just a bit surprised at how bold you're being. It's not what I'd expect."
Her lips slyly curved upwards. "Of course you wouldn't. I mean, at least my face doesn't turn into a tomato like yours did when you saw Karen."
Ash froze at the comment, and suddenly, he could practically feel the exaggerated redness on his cheeks as his face grew hot.
Misty's smirk turned to a grin as her finger shot out to point at him. "Hey, look, it's doing it again! You'll hold still for the camera, right?"
In shame, Ash's hands shot up to his face, as though a desperate attempt to hide it, and an embarrased moan escaped from his lips.
Misty pouted. "Hey! You can't cover your face up like that! That's cheating!" She turned over to Valiant. "Hey, Valiant! Could you use your powers real quick to pry off your trainer's arms-" she paused upon noticing the look on his face. It was a lot more intent than before.
Curious, she followed his gaze. Her eyes widened as they landed upon the Egg.
It was glowing a deep, whitish blue. She turned to Ash.
"Ash! Quickly! The Egg!"
Perking up, Ash uncovered his face and gasped as she saw the Egg. Racing over to it with Misty in tow, he was quickly joined by Pikachu, who leapt up onto the desk to observe the Egg more closely, and Valiant, who teleported onto the desk for the same exact reasons. The rest of the team stayed put, but took notice.
All eyes were on the Egg.
What felt like millions of thoughts flowed through Ash's mind at once. It hadn't been too long ago that Elacia had given him the Egg, but it almost felt like an eternity. He had been so excited to find out what it would be hatching into, and finally-
The glow brightened as Ash and Misty squinted, covering their eyes with their hands as the first few signs of cracks began to form on the outer shell. The glow continued to grow brighter until it eventually started to fade, more and more cracks outlining the Egg's surface.
Finally, the top opened up.
The Egg shell fell onto the desk as everybody looked on in simultaneous suspense and excitement.
First, a snout found its way out of the Egg. The lower part of the creature's jaw, still within the Egg shell, began gnawing away at it, causing the front end of the eggshell to fall over as the creature stumbled its way out, quickly caught and held upright by a concerned Valiant, who was quickly joined by Pikachu.
Now in full view, and still covered in Egg shards, the whimpering infant raised its head as it took in the sights of Ash and Misty.
It wasn't a creature that either Trainer ever recognized.
Bipedal and dinosaur-like. Quite small due to its newborn age. A grayish-brown body with a back that had a small hump. A belly and lower jaw that both were a lighter gray. It's head was quite large when considered in proportion to the rest of its body. In particular, its jaw was a standout. Even at a newborn age, its jaw looked to be quite powerful, leaving everyone present to wonder just how dangerous that same exact jaw would be once the new, mysterious creature had developed and matured. The lower jaw had two visible teeth, which were quite tiny, likely due to its age.
Although the Pokemon whimpered and cooed, it took in its surroundings with curiosity. It stopped, however, as Ash leaned down to get at eye level with it.
"Hi…" he said gently. "Are you okay?"
Still holding the creature from the side, Valiant gave the mysterious creature a nice, warm smile of welcome. Beside him, Pikachu did the same, putting on his signature, cheerful grin that Nebula adored so much.
"It's cute." Misty commented with an affectionate smile. She tapped Ash's shoulder. "See what it is."
Nodding, Ash took out his crimson Pokedex and allowed it to scan.
"Tyrunt, the Royal Heir Pokemon of the rock/dragon type. Originating from ancient times, they have incredibly powerful jaws, said to be capable of chewing up an automobile.
This Tyrunt is male and knows the moves Tackle, Roar, Bite, Dragon Tail, and Poison Fang. Its ability is Strong Jaw, which greatly enhances the jaw strength of a Pokemon, consequently giving their biting moves an enormous boost of power."
With widened eyes, a speechless Ash lowered the device, taking in the sight of his latest team member, while Misty's own eyes bulged from behind him.
The newborn infant allowed Pikachu and Valiant to continue holding him upright, trying to maintain focus and balance on his feet as he waddled forward a bit, raising his head a bit more towards Ash and letting out a content moan, eyes adjusting to the light of the room as his new trainer looked on in awe.
'I HAVE A DRAGON TYPE NOW?!'