It was day four in the Viridian Forest and needless to say, the group's nerves were frayed. The little sleep combined with the constant chittering of the Bug-type Pokémon meant a blow-up was definitely coming. Ash was just trying to figure out when and who.
Turned out, he didn’t have to wait long either, as they passed what looked to be the same tree for the fourth time Dakota snapped. Throwing the map to the ground and cursing loudly, kicking a rock into a tree with a resounding thud that bounced right back, hitting him in the shin.
“Fuck this Forest.” he groaned as he rubbed his leg, a bruise already starting to form.
Ash silently agreed, and noticing Amelia’s defeated look, Ash determined they needed a break. The question was, what to do that was somewhat fun, relaxing, and not too dangerous?
They had discovered on the second night when Dakota took a bit too long getting firewood for his and Amelia’s liking that the Pokédex came with a texting feature that could message nearby Pokédexs and alert Rangers of an issue since none of them had a Pokénav.
Turns out, Dakota had just gotten lost, and after 10 minutes the group had found him and the firewood. With that newfound knowledge, the trio was slightly more comfortable exploring separately for extended periods of time now that they knew they could get in touch with each other.
“I have an idea.”
His two companions turned to him, interested in what he had to say.
“How about we all break off and train separately for a couple hours. I know it’ll add to our time in this Forest, but I think we could use the distraction. Plus, if we encounter anything dangerous, we can message via the Pokédex.”
“Okay,” Amelia said. “But why not train together?”
“Well,” Ash started. “I think we could all use a break from each other. Also, if an interesting Pokémon came by it’d be more willing to fight one of us instead of three.”
They both nodded at that and after checking his watch to see it was a little past noon, he tried to figure out a good time to meet back up. The forest started to get dark around 6:00 due to the thick foliage and tree cover.
“Let’s set a timer for four hours. After that, we meet back here and search for a good clearing to camp. Unless one of us found one earlier.”
After another set of nods, Ash mustered up a shaky smile. Despite the logical sense this made to get their minds off each other and improve morale. There was a ton of danger in the forest, and they hadn’t encountered any trainers today despite it being mid-day.
That wasn’t a great sign considering the season just started, and normally Viridian Forest is teeming with trainers on the main path. Which meant one of two things, either they weren’t on the main path. Which was dangerous in itself, or a Pokémon scared off or killed the trainers in the area.
With that terrifying thought, Ash made his way right, Amelia went left, and Dakota went forward.
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About twenty minutes later Ash came across a pretty decent clearing and not wanting to waste time, released his team who were at attention immediately. Looking at their trainer for direction causing Ash to smile.
It had been a bit time-consuming, but after a conversation and a couple battles, his teammates started to be ready for action every time he released them. Which he was grateful for.
“We aren’t in a fight you two. We are just going to do some training.”
Trapinch warbled a bit and Eevee yelped in excitement causing Ash to smile. His Pokémon always made him feel better.
“I want you to learn Dig today Trapinch, Eevee is going to demonstrate and then I want you to try and replicate it alright?”
Both his teammates nodded, and Ash felt the excitement in his bones.
“Eevee Dig!”
Eevee’s paws glowed a light brown as she took two small swipes into the dirt, making a hole just big enough for her to enter before disappearing. Moments later, she exploded through the ground next to him as soil rained down around them.
“Great work Eevee! I’m proud of you. Trapinch, did you see that? The trick is to not waste a bunch of energy making a big hole. Are you ready to try it?”
Trapinch nodded his head, and Ash smiled, tearing off a small piece of a Poffin to give to Eevee for her good work. He then turned back to Trapinch who took a bite out of the ground slightly larger than his body before going underneath it.
Ash whopped in excitement as he thought Trapinch got it on the first try but when he didn’t appear after a couple of moments Ash went to the hole and had to hold back a sigh. Trapinch was just sitting there staring up at him in the little hole it made.
“You made a great hole buddy, but the next step is to dig through the ground to where your opponent is and explode from the ground, do you understand?”
Trapinch warbled and Ash smiled. “Okay so for this one just go a few feet to your right and explode up, okay?”
Trapinch warbled in acknowledgment again, vanishing in his hole, only for an explosion of dirt to announce his arrival a couple feet away. Causing Ash to jump in excitement, Andrew wasn’t exaggerating, Trapinch were a natural at the move.
Feeding Trapinch a piece of a Poffin, he then signaled Eevee over. Who, for her part, trotted his way. Sitting on her haunches and ready for her trainer’s command.
“Now, when we use this in the Pewter Gym, Brock won't just have his Pokémon stand still. So, I want you two to practice using Dig on each other and sensing the other's footsteps and vibrations to hit a moving target. Understand?”
They both nodded their heads.
“Alright, great! I am going to stand still and by this tree.” He said, pointing at a tree by the edge of the clearing.
“I want you two to alternate between who chases who, first will be Eevee trying to hit Trapinch and vice versa. After that, I will have a game for you two, sound good?”
His teammates voiced their agreement, causing Ash to smile. “Alright! Start once I reach the tree.”
Once he reached the tree, the rookie trainer turned to watch his Pokémon, only to smile as Eevee had already disappeared without a sound. Pulling the incubation unit out of his bag since he would be there for a bit, along with his Egg book before turning to chapter six.
He had about twelve more chapters and was determined to finish the book before his Egg hatched. Looking up to see Eevee appear a couple feet away from Trapinch who hadn’t stopped moving.
Turning his attention back to his book as he watched Trapinch burrow underground, now on his attempt to land a hit. He wanted them to figure it out on their own; they would help each other more than he could right now.
It wasn’t until at least the forty-minute mark that the first contact was made. Eevee’s yelp drew Ash out of his reading, just in time to see Eevee a couple feet in the air. Watching her twist mid-air and land gracefully on her feet.
“Great job Trapinch! You got him on the next one Eevee! I believe in you!”
Eevee stood a little bit straighter at the faith, and Trapinch warbled at the praise. Eevee had kept getting so close to actually hitting Trapinch, Ash thought she would be the first to make contact.
But her progress was stagnant after the first thirty minutes while Trapinch kept getting closer and closer until he landed the first hit moments ago. Ash paid close attention as his starter missed by inches again and Trapinch scored another hit.
Standing up, he put his Egg and the book back in his bag before moving from his spot under the tree. Dusting himself off as he walked towards the now mess of a clearing that was filled with dozens of holes.
“Great work you two! Eevee you're getting so close, what's going on?”
Eevee just shook her head in disappointment, upset she had let her trainer down for the first time. Seeing his Pokémon upset, and worst because she thought she had let him down, broke his heart.
“We will figure it out, Eevee, I promise. No matter what though I am proud of you, Okay?”
Eevee nodded her head after a couple of seconds and Ash smiled, petting her mess of fur, slick with sweat and dirt from being underground. It will be an arduous task cleaning her fur later, but Ash pushed it to the back of his mind for now.
Giving both of his Pokémon a full Poffin for their hard work, Ash racked his brain to figure out how to help his starter, and as she finished eating, an idea dawned on him.
“Eevee, I want you to use Dig on me, okay?”
At her horrified look, Ash realized why that might be hard for her to understand and explained himself more.
“Obviously I don’t want you to use your full power, but I am going to be jogging around and stepping harder than Trapinch can. That’ll tell me what we need to work on okay?”
She hesitantly nodded her head, and after telling Trapinch to rest up, he broke into a jog. Watching as Eevee waited a second before using Dig, with her underground Ash began to stomp harder in an effort to help her the best he could.
Turns out it wasn’t needed, as he went to make a left turn Eevee burst from the ground in the area his foot had just left in a shower of dirt. And, despite his starter’s frown at still not getting the move right, Ash laughed.
When he noticed Eevee about to cry, Ash quickly picked up his starter stroking her fur in a soothing manner.
“No no no, I wasn't laughing at you Eevee love. I would never make fun of you or anyone on our team, okay?”
Ash could hear the desperation in his voice, he needed his starter to know he wouldn’t make fun of her, or anyone on his team for that matter. He was laughing at how simple the solution to her problem was.
“I realized what the issue was, and I was laughing at how simple it is to fix.”
Eevee looked up at her trainer interested in what he had to say. Her sadness was forgotten, and Ash was extremely grateful she believed him. He meant every word he said.
“You're sensing your target the entire time and then exploding the second you arrive at where you just felt them above you right?”
At her nod, Ash smiled, setting her down.
“That’s what I thought, next time I want you to get to where you last sensed them and wait for their next step. If you don’t sense them after ten seconds, then just go up. If they are too far away from you when they next move, then just follow and come up where you expect them to be next alright?”
Eevee nodded again and Ash smiled.
“Alright, Trapinch, start moving! Eevee use Dig on Trapinch.”
Trapinch perked up at hearing his trainer and immediately began moving. Ash watched as Eevee disappeared underground into yet another new hole. He absentmindedly wondered how long it would take for the local Pokémon to fix the damage.
It was something they had learned in Trainer School, that Pokémon would clean up and repair any damage done to their habitat. All trainers had to do was pick up their waste, the local Pokémon would take care of it from there.
He was broken out of that thought as Trapinch warbled in surprise. Ash looked up just in time to see Trapinch in the air and land on his back. He winced, afraid Eevee had knocked him out, but was relieved as Trapinch flipped himself over with Eevee’s help. Looking unscathed minus a couple scratches.
“Great job you two! I’m so proud of you both, now let me go check the time and if we have an hour, we will do that game I talked about.”
His companions nodded at him as he jogged back to his bag, checking his Pokédex. Frowning upon seeing a message from Amelia that started with ‘Help’ that was a couple minutes old.
After reading it twice to make sure he understood the situation, he checked her location. Sending a quick message telling her he was ‘on the way’ after figuring out how to get there.
His Pokémon, feeling his spike in adrenaline, moved towards their trainer. Their curiosity apparent as to what the issue was, Ash quickly shouldered his backpack and gave his spot a once over to make sure he wasn’t leaving anything.
Then, thinking better of it, marked the location on his Pokédex just in case before turning to his team. He’d return them, but he wanted them to be prepared for when he released them next.
“I got a message from Amelia. She found a trainer who was attacked by a Pokémon and wasn’t moving. I am going to return you now, but when I next release you, be ready for a fight okay.”
Without waiting for an answer Ash returned his team in a flash of scarlet. Becoming a blur as he raced in the direction of Amelia’s ping.
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Ash cursed when he saw Amelia and Dakota staring out into a clearing. He came up beside them and took a second to calm his breathing as the two looked at him with fear and concern evident on their faces.
“Ash, thank Arceus, we thought you might have been attacked on the way.”
Ash shook his head and bit back his reason. There would be time for that later.
“What’s going on? Have you reported this to the Rangers?”
Amelia nodded before whispering to them.
“Yes, I sent out a distress message before I notified you two, so hopefully someone will be here soon. As for what’s going on, look.”
Ash followed her finger to the clearing and had to fight the fear and bile that built up in his gut. A lone trainer was collapsed up against a tree while a Scyther buzzed around, blood dripping down its scythes.
Ash could see the cuts on the trainer's back from at least forty feet away. They were still bleeding, which indicated that the trainer was most likely alive, but he had no idea how long that would last.
He turned back to Amelia and Dakota, who looked about how he felt but took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
“We have to help him. I don’t think he will last much longer, and that Scyther isn’t leaving anytime soon. Is that how you found him Amelia?”
She shook her head, and Ash was relieved. That meant the trainer hadn’t been bleeding out for who knows how long.
“No, I was training a little way away when I heard a battle start. That guy tried to fight the Scyther with his Raticate and Butterfree. I watched because I wanted to see how he caught it, but the battle went awry quickly.”
“The trainer tried to use Butterfree to put it to sleep, but the Scyther was insanely fast. Before the powder could get close, Scyther would blow it away with Whirlwind. It seemed to be his only strategy, and when it didn’t work, he was in trouble.”
“Scyther was quick and precise, and the Raticate and Butterfree didn’t stand a chance. The trainer returned them when Scyther nearly sliced his Raticate in half. That’s when I contacted the Rangers and you two.”
“I knew Scyther could be vicious to challengers, and shortly after that message, it attacked him when he turned to run away. He's been like that for the past four minutes, maybe?”
Ash nodded his head before devising a plan. From this distance, it appeared that the cuts were deep, and there was already a small pool of blood below the trainer. If he wasn't dead, he was definitely unconscious.
“Amelia, respond to your distress signal to let them know it's a Scyther attack and that two trainers are going to engage it to save a life.”
Amelia paled but did as he asked while he turned to Dakota, speaking softly to not disturb the Scyther but loud enough that both of them could hear him.
“Okay, so here's the plan. I will have both Eevee and Trapinch use Dig. Once they are underground, Dakota, you will need to get the Scyther to touch the earth. Once that’s done, we should distract it enough for Amelia to hit it with a Sleep Powder.”
“Meanwhile, Amelia, you and Bulbasaur need to go get to the trainer, and once you’ve sprayed a potion to stop his bleeding. Be on the lookout for your opportunity to put it to sleep, sound good?”
They both nodded and after Ash released his team, giving them the rundown, they disappeared underground. He didn’t want to give up the element of surprise starting with a Sleep Powder attack that the other trainer hadn’t gotten to work.
Ash and Dakota waited until Amelia had moved away from them before Dakota stepped out into the clearing, immediately catching Scyther’s attention. In a flash his Charmander and Mankey were by his side, Mankey seemingly itching for a fight.
Upon seeing the two Pokémon, the Scyther got a strange glint in its eye, moving in a blur. It looked like a Quick Attack to Ash, but the Scyther wasn’t enveloped in the Normal energy. Which meant that it was just moving incredibly fast.
Before Ash could even utter a word of caution the Scyther had crossed the forty-foot gap and was in striking distance. Lucky for Dakota, his Pokémon had way better reaction times and could actually track the Scyther.
Charmander fired an Ember right above Scyther's head forcing it to hover down, its feet just barely above the ground. Mankey was in its face in an instant hitting it with Fury Swipes, at least it tried to.
Scyther batted it away with one of its claws like a baseball and Mankey slammed into a tree. It was then that Ash realized how fucked they were. Scyther was a blur again immediately in front of Charmander.
Thankfully, it used Smokescreen, causing Scyther to miss its Slash. Charmander retaliated with an Ember that again missed, but this time, Scyther barely touched the ground. Which is what they desperately needed.
Immediately Trapinch exploded from the ground followed by Eevee scoring them the first hits against this Scyther. Who, for its part, just seemed extremely confused and ticked off more than hurt, causing Dakota and Ash to gulp.
Although now seeing the vast numbers disadvantage, Scyther wasn’t as aggressive. Staying a little ways back, just hovering and sharpening its scythes. Ash cursed as he realized what Scyther was doing and hoped the Rangers would get here soon; they didn’t stand a chance now.
“Shit watch out, it’s using Hone Claws. Be ready Eevee, Trapinch! It moves incredibly fast!”
Scyther glanced in his direction, a look of malice on its face, but quickly disregarded him to dodge the Ember that went over its head. Ash realized it understood them and began to wonder if this was once a trainer’s Scyther?
Stowing that thought away for later, Ash refocused on the battle, he didn’t want to make a mistake that could cost his Pokémon their life.
“Trapinch, use Sand Attack, then follow with Bite! Eevee, Growl then follow it with a Quick Attack if you can!”
Ash watched in fascination as Trapinch glowed a light brown, opening its maw and spewing some Sand straight at the Scyther before jetting forward to follow it with Bite. Meanwhile, Eevee let out a Growl that sounded like it came from a Charizard that sent shivers down his spine.
Scyther shuddered as the effects of the Growl hit, which gave the Sand Attack the time it needed to hit the Bug-Flying-type, making it close its eyes. Ash silently thought they had it, especially as he heard the furious war cry of Mankey as it entered its species' famous rage.
He was sadly mistaken; as right before Trapinch landed his Bite, Eevee was in the air, enveloped in the normal-type energy for Quick Attack, while Mankey came from a tree branch above, dripping blood and a furious expression on its face, and Charmander charged up another Ember, Scyther attacked.
It cleared its eyes immediately and looked absolutely murderous. In one motion it cut down on Trapinch. Ash was thankful for its hard exoskeleton, as Scyther wasn’t able to cut through, but it was enough that his friend was slammed to the ground.
Ash quickly returned his newest companion, seriously doubting he could fight after a blow like that. Next was Mankey although it managed to land a solid Scratch on Scyther’s thorax before it was hit with a Slash that left a deep cut in its body.
Dakota returned it before a drop of blood fell from the wound on its side. Thankfully, from what Ash could see, it hadn’t gone all the way through so it would be fine if they got to a Pokémon Center.
Then, like a bullet, Eevee sped towards the Scyther managing to slam into its chest. Jumping back just in time to dodge the swipe Scyther sent her way. Thankfully the Ember hit as well, taking its attention off of Eevee and towards Dakota and Charmander.
But before either side could retaliate there was the sound of stampeding hooves and Ash let loose a sigh of relief. The Scyther looked barely winded and had taken out half their team. Unless the one Ember had managed to leave a burn, there was no way he and Dakota would last much longer.
The Scyther, realizing it was now properly outnumbered, retreated into the forest. One look at Dakota and they both decided they would let the Rangers chase it down if they wanted, they had done their part.
Moments later, a trio of Rangers riding Rapidash arrived in the clearing dressed in the standard Pokémon Ranger regalia. Consisting of a League orange cap and vest, with a dark blue shirt and pants. The woman on the lead Rapidash hopped down looking at the two rookie trainers in a way that Ash couldn’t quite place.
She stood a little under their height at about 5’9 and was an older woman probably in her early thirties. The two men on the other Rapidash were scanning the perimeter, no doubt looking for the Scyther. They were probably in their mid-twenties. The Rapidash for their part looked to be calm, if not a little anxious.
“I am Ranger Naomi, and these are Rangers Neil and Tom. Where is the Scyther, and where is the injured?”
That’s when Amelia, who was behind a bush next to some thick trees, called out. Her Bulbasauar extended a vine in the air to signal their location and one of the Rangers went over towards her with a Medic pack on their side.
Meanwhile, the other Ranger, Tom, started circling the perimeter with his Rapidash. While Ranger Naomi turned back to them as her colleague treated the injured trainer. Dakota spoke up as she was clearly waiting on an answer to her question.
“The Scyther ran off Ma’am. Once it heard the Rapidash it turned and went back into the Forest, and we were in no shape to chase it.”
Naomi gave a hint of a smile at that statement. “Very well, and good thinking, if it was alone, it was likely heading towards its small colony for protection. Had you followed it you very likely would’ve been seriously injured or killed.”
“Although it could also be bringing reinforcements, as they are very prideful creatures, so we need to leave. Neil, how is the injured? We need to get back to the station.”
Neil poked his head out of the bush, a frown on his face and a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead.
“Not good Ma’am, if we don’t get him to a hospital soon I’m afraid he’ll die within the hour. I am going to take my Pidgeot to the Center in Viridian, can you take these three on your Rapidash or should I leave you Thunder?”
At its apparent name, the Rapidash looked up towards its trainer. Which made Ash make a mental note for himself to see if his Pokémon would like nicknames. A concentrated look passed over Naomi’s face briefly before shaking her head.
In a flash, Thunder had disappeared and a Pidgeot was in its place. Neil took out a basket with a stretcher of some kind out of a storage capsule, and Ash was reminded of his desire for a Silph Co Bag.
With the help of everyone, the injured trainer was safely secured in Pidgeot’s talons and Neil was flying towards Viridian. With the injured taken care of, Naomi looked the three trainers up and down.
“Alright, we are going to debrief at the outpost as this place will not be safe for much longer. I guarantee the Scyther is coming with backup, and I don’t want to take on a colony of them. You two boys are with Tom, and you girl, are with me.”
Ash and Dakota made their way to Tom’s Rapidash, with Ash sitting right on its back end, once the Rapidash extinguished its flames. Meanwhile, Amelia got on Naomi’s Rapidash.
“Alright, does everyone have everything? This place won't be safe for a while once we leave, the Scyther will probably stalk this area for the rest of the season.”
Ash made sure both his Pokéballs were secure in their magnetic slots and then checked his bag, making sure his Egg, Badge Case, ID, Books, and Pokédex were all still there along with his extra Pokéballs, just in case they fell out during his run and the ensuing battle.
After double-checking that everything was secure, he sounded off his affirmative shortly followed by Amelia, and Dakota’s. He didn’t bother to check his camping supplies or food rations, that was all easily replaceable.
Due to the number of training accidents, the harsh wilderness, and just living in the world of Pokémon. bedrolls, clothes, and cooking utensils were all extremely durable, rugged, and cheap. They had to be, or else trainers would go bankrupt. After hearing their affirmations Naomi nodded her head.
“Then let’s go back home Blitzen. You three might want to hold on, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
And then they were off.
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The journey to the Ranger Outpost was uneventful and extremely uncomfortable for Ash. The only real plus side to the trip to the Outpost was that it was relatively short. They had traveled several miles in about ten minutes, which was a pretty good time considering the dense forest.
By the time they arrived, the sun was starting to set, and Ash was sure he wasn’t alone in wishing the station had some spare rooms for the night. This day was probably the most exhausting of his entire journey so far.
Once the adrenaline from the Scyther fight left him, he felt exhausted and numb. Standing on shaky legs after disembarking from the Rapidash, Naomi ushered the rookie trainers over to her while Tom fed the Pokémon.
Ash took that moment to admire the Outpost, it blended in with the surrounding forest well. It was a round wooden building with a green roof that was elevated up off the forest floor so Pokémon could pass freely underneath.
It was anchored to several trees and seemed to have a couple of what looked like pods, high up on the surrounding trees with walkways connecting them. Overall, the entire complex seemed like a massive tree house rather than a League Outpost.
Ash was about to ask how they got in when a wooden platform dropped down and he realized it was a rope elevator. As the four stepped on the platform, it rose up to the top. Once inside Ash took in his surroundings only to realize it was similar to a waiting room of a Pokémon Center.
In the corner was a Machop that had used the crank to pull them up, otherwise the entire place looked fairly modern. There was a dining room table fit for about 8-10 people, a massive couch and TV, and a moderately sized kitchen.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Naomi gestured the rookie trainers to the table where they sat taking everything in. Once everyone was seated Naomi spoke up.
“Now that we are safe, I want you to explain what happened, and how you three ended up so far off the League path, leave nothing out.”
Both Ash and Dakota looked to Amelia to start as she was the one to send out the distress signal. Then for the next twenty minutes, Naomi listened to the rookie trainers as they recapped their encounter with the Scyther.
From Ash’s idea for some time away from each other to Amelia seeing the original trainer challenge the Scyther and fail, and the subsequent attack. Followed by her distress signal and the messages she sent and what was happening as she sent them. Finishing when Ash and Dakota described their fight with the Scyther while Amelia and Bulbasaur rescued and triaged the trainer.
Once they had given their version of events, Naomi stared hard at the three trainers for several seconds before letting out a frustrated sigh.
“First I want to start by saying that you three did an excellent job. While I would have preferred you wait, I understand why you didn’t. Although, as morbid as this sounds, your lives are more important than a trainer who may already be dead.”
“On that note, the League rewards those who selflessly put others above themselves in times of danger. As such, you’ll each receive $1,500 as thanks from the League. I'll get your Trainer ID shortly, but first, I want to see the Pokémon you boys said were injured.”
“Hand me their Pokéballs and I will take them to the infirmary, if they can’t be treated here we will send them to the Pokémon Center in Pewter.”
Ash and Dakota nodded and handed over their Pokémon, Naomi then turned and headed into a different room.
Ash attempted to lighten the mood by switching topics but changed his mind once he noticed Amelia, who seemed devastated.
“Amelia, what’s wrong?”
“I... I just, I’m so sorry, I hate that your Pokémon got hurt so badly. I should’ve helped you! By the time I had stopped a majority of that guy’s bleeding, Scyther was fleeing.”
Ash was the first to respond, desperate to comfort his friend. “No Amelia, you followed the plan perfectly, and you probably saved that man's life.”
Dakota added on after that. “Seriously Mel, it's okay. All the damage to Mankey should be fine, if anything he will have a cool battle scar that I am sure he’ll love.”
She nodded her head slowly although, Ash doubted she had forgiven herself yet. He knew he’d be struggling with the same dilemma she was in personally.
The three sat in silence for a while after that, as they waited for Naomi to return. At about the five-minute mark, Ash started to get angsty and he knew Dakota was as well. If everything had been fine, it wouldn’t have taken this long.
Once another ten minutes had passed, Ash moved to get up and find out what was taking so long but Naomi chose that moment to walk in, her face set in a hard line. The three waited patiently for her to bring them up to speed on their Pokémon.
“I just got off the phone with the Center in Pewter. After taking a look at your Pokémon while in the stasis of the Pokéball. They believe they will be able to heal them completely.”
Ash released a breath of relief he didn’t realize he was holding and heard his friends do the same.
“Mankey will be especially tricky, as Scyther cut a pretty big artery, but they should be able to heal him good as new by tomorrow. Although they said Mankey will need to stay out of battle for at least a week.”
“As for Trapinch, they said he would be fine. There would be a small scar on his shell, but otherwise, it didn’t penetrate too deep, and Nurse Joy said she would send them back in the morning. In the meantime, once you three give me your Trainer ID you're free to stay the night here.”
“Unfortunately we have no empty beds, as all my Rangers are expected to be back later tonight, and the infirmary beds need to stay open. But, you're welcome to sleep on the couches.”
“You lucked out, as it’s Tom's turn to cook dinner, and he’s an excellent cook. Otherwise, you're free to do as you please, just clean up any mess.”
After writing down their ID numbers Naomi left the trio again, probably to her office as it sounded like she was the Head Ranger. The three looked at each other, and without saying a word unanimously agreed it was time for bed.
Ash immediately got his bedroll ready, and couldn’t help the peace and calm that washed over him at the realization no one would have to take watch tonight. Once he released Eevee and situated his Egg, Ash drifted off into the world of dreams.
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“Trapinch use Bite!”
Trapinch grabbed onto the Kakuna’s rock-hard shell, biting with so much force it actually cracked, before the bug trainer returned his Bug-type. Trapinch’s jaws shut with a resounding ‘smack’ as the previous rock-hard resistance vanished.
“Great job Trapinch! I'm proud of you!”
Trapinch warbled at the praise before making its way towards Ash who patted its head, faintly running his hand over the scar that Scyther left.
It had been a couple of days since the attack, and nothing major had happened. Ash remembered Naomi giving them their Pokémon back the next morning. Mankey and Trapinch were fine although Trapinch had a small scar, and Mankey had a gauze wrapped around its middle.
Dakota and Ash both congratulated their Pokémon on an extremely hard and well-fought battle since they never got the chance after the fact, and after a hot breakfast. The trio were off, eager to put the Viridian Forest behind them.
The next three days were the same as when they had first entered the Forest: a couple of trainer battles for each of them as they traveled through, but otherwise nothing crazy. Realizing he was lost in thought, Ash stopped patting Trapinch and stood up.
“We still have a couple miles left, so I am going to return you buddy.”
Trapinch warbled slightly as he was enveloped in a red light, returning to his Pokéball. With Trapinch secure on his belt, and Eevee around his shoulders. Ash walked over and shook the bug trainer's hand for a decent battle.
Although why the trainer just had a Metapod and Kakuna confused him. Yes, battling experience sped up their evolution, but battling as they were was almost asking for a loss. Especially when it's the only two Pokémon the bug trainer had.
He wasn’t going to complain though, he needed all the money he could get. There were things he wanted other than a Silph Co bag, and with his stipend set to hit the next day, Ash was actually excited to shop for the first time in his life.
The bug trainer had a slight scowl on his face as he entered Ash’s trainer ID and paid him $100 Pokédollars before walking deeper into the forest. It was hard for Ash to feel too bad for the kid as most bug trainers preyed on rookies due to the Bug-types' quick evolutions.
Seeing that his Trainer balance now said $3,541 he broke into a jog to catch up with his friends, who had kept moving when the bug trainer asked to battle. Neither of them wanted to battle as they were at the edge of the Forest, and Ash couldn’t quite blame them. He probably would’ve passed up the challenge too if he didn’t need money.
After catching up with his friends, they all concluded that they were less than three hours away from the exit to the Viridian Forest and another couple of hours from there to Pewter. The trio continued on their journey with some light small talk trying to iron out their plans.
After so long in the wilderness, the trio all agreed to stay in Pewter for a whole week. When they first arrived, they would check into the Center and just relax after so long on the road. Then the next morning they would register for the Pewter Gym. After that, they would do some shopping, do a little training, and enjoy some well-earned R&R.
Ash absentmindedly pet Eevee who was still on his shoulders after catching up to his companions. Despite the short amount of time, he was proud of his team's progress and vowed to take some time in Pewter to get their thoughts on nicknames. He also needed to figure out what moves he would try and teach them while they were in Pewter.
Ash was broken out of his musings when a kid dressed as a samurai popped out in front of the group.
“I, the honorable Damon Clark, challenge you three to a 3v1 battle!”
Ash couldn’t help but laugh, and neither could Dakota. Amelia at least tried to hide her laughter with her hand.
“Oh, you think you can win? Come on, battle me! I’ll wipe the floor with you.”
Ash was glad Amelia got herself under control enough to answer the kid because neither he nor Dakota could. It was just too funny. The kid was only like 13 years old, and the costume was way too big. He shouldn’t be out in the forest by himself, let alone training any Pokémon.
“Sorry little man, but we are tired, and we’ve kind of got sick of battling Caterpie, Weedle, and Rattata. Maybe next time?”
The kid got red in the face and Ash couldn’t determine if it was anger or embarrassment. Then again, they could only see between his eyes and mouth, the rest of his body was covered with the baggy samurai costume with the helmet just barely above his eyes.
With a flash, the kid released a Pinser and Ash was actually shocked. A quick glance at his friends showed they felt the same, but before anyone could say anything the kid gave his command.
“I’ll show you! Pinser use Hyper Beam!!!”
Ash and everyone else dropped to the floor in a panic as a Hyper Beam flew off to their left, cutting down several trees before petering out in seconds. Ash was about to attack the Pinsir, but it was already down; the Hyper Beam had used all of its energy. It was obvious it hadn’t practiced with the move and was most likely recently taught it via TM.
“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?”
Ash looked over to Dakota’s angry face and couldn’t help but agree, they could’ve easily died had they not had such quick reactions. Before the kid could respond though the sound of buzzing filled everyone’s ears and Ash’s face paled.
“Run, it’s a Swarm of Beedrill!”
Ash looked to where the kid was, only to realize that he was already ahead of them, his Pinsir returned. Ash quickly returned Eevee before taking off after his friends, the buzzing from the swarm of Beedrill already closing in on them.
Ash jumped over a couple of roots and sped past several Caterpie and Weedle, focused on getting away from the swarm and making it to the man-made entrance on the Pewter City side of the Viridian Forest.
After minutes of non-stop sprinting, the entrance was finally in sight, but it wasn’t until the doors slid shut behind him did Ash sigh in relief as the Beedrills buzz slowly dissipated. He was thankful for the powerful Repels the League used on the entrances to Viridian Forest.
Everyone took a second to catch their breath but right as he was about to scold the kid, some woman was standing next to him with a confused, yet also angry, look on her face.
“What in the world is happening?”
Seeing Amelia and Dakota still needing a second, Ash spoke up. Feeling slightly sorry for the kid, but someone that young shouldn’t be training a Pokémon. Especially one as powerful as Pinsir, whatever family member gave it to him made a mistake. Ash was certain no Gym Leader or Professor would’ve given someone so young a Pokémon, let alone one as powerful as a Pinsir.
“Well.” Ash started. “That kid over there tried to challenge us to a battle, and when we refused, he got angry and had his Pinsir fire a Hyper Beam at us, which we just barely avoided, before it apparently disturbed a Beedrill Nest.”
The woman’s face was one of horror that slowly morphed into realization and finally into anger. Ash wasn't sure who this was to the kid, but the kid was obviously afraid, and Ash couldn’t blame him, but also couldn’t find much sympathy.
“I am so sorry for my son, I wanted him to have Pinsir to protect him while he was in the woods because he always told me how much he liked watching Caterpie, and other trainers battle. Don’t worry, he won’t be doing this again, and thank you for making sure he didn’t get attacked by those Beedrill!”
Ash stared as the woman dragged her son out of the man-made structure towards Pewter. A glance at the desk attendant showed she was just as confused.
Ash and his friends silently came to an agreement to not travel with the mother-son duo, so instead they made small talk with the desk attendant while the duo made their way farther and farther from the exit.
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With the craziness that will forever be known as the Samurai incident, the trio, after giving a plentiful head start to the mom and son pair, left the Pewter entrance of the Viridian Forest.
Stepping out of the double doors Ash was shocked at the difference. Maybe it was because he was used to the dense and sprawling Viridian Forest, but he didn’t expect to step out into a relatively open field. Taking a second to catch his bearings, Ash released his starter, as Amelia and Dakota started walking.
Taking a breath of fresh air, Ash was excited to be out of the claustrophobic forest. Eevee also seemed to enjoy it, so Ash released Trapinch as well. That way all his Pokémon could enjoy the open fields.
Taking a look behind him, Ash admired the thick wall of trees that blocked out a lot of the sunlight. Shaking himself of bad memories of the Forest, Ash continued on with his friends. Trying to keep a lookout for any Deerling.
He wanted a Grass-type, and while they weren’t native to Kanto, a group or two tended to migrate to the forest every year. They weren’t especially strong, but then again neither were Grass-types, and something always fascinated him about the proud Sawsbuck that Deerling evolved into.
He knew that they were very rarely found in the actual Viridian Forest themselves. Deerling did however prefer to be close to such a powerful conduit for Grass-types, but ultimately they were grazers and preferred the open fields like he found himself in now.
He had to, unfortunately, give up his search when Amelia was challenged to a battle. Ash and Dakota both encouraged her to take it as she had been the one to battle the least through the Viridian Forest and they were out of that place, so they didn’t allow any more excuses. Bulbasaur was beside her ready to go and her Pidgey came down from the sky at her trainer's command.
Ash grinned, she hadn’t battled at all that day and he didn’t want her to fall behind. With a smirk, the guy released a male Nidoran. Ash was interested in who Amelia would use, her Bulbasaur would be naturally resistant to its poison, but her Pidgey could use the experience.
“You're up Albion!”
Pidgey landed in front of Amelia with a loud cry as it prepared for battle while her Bulbasaur made its way to the boys, laying down to relax in the sun. Ash absentmindedly wondered when she gave her Pokémon nicknames and reaffirmed himself to do the same when they got to Pewter.
The two trainers stared at each other before Amelia made the first move.
“Albion up, hit it with Gust!”
The trainer responded in kind. “Nidoran Poison Sting, then Leer.”
Several poisonous barbs flew at the Pidgey, It managed to knock a handful away with its Gust, but one got through and hit its wing causing Ash to grimace. Pidgey was almost certainly poisoned, which would mean Amelia would have to finish the fight quickly.
Pidgey for its part didn’t even look fazed, and after Nidoran delivered a Leer, that was so full of malice that Ash had to take a step back, Amelia was back in control.
“Albion you got this! Hit it with another Gust, keep your distance!”
Pidgey, with another beat of its wings, used Gust once again. This time getting the Nidoran airborne before it slammed back into the ground. Then while it was still recovering Amelia’s Pidgey swooped down for a Peck that left a decent gash in the Nidoran’s soft underside.
But Pidgey didn’t get away unscathed as Nidoran released several more poisonous barbs, which at such a close range, were impossible for Pidgey to dodge. Pidgey flew away but gave a screech of rage as it hovered above Nidoran.
Ash could tell the Flying-type was struggling to stay in the air, confirming it was poisoned. But Nidoran also seemed to stay off its back leg and it was sagging a bit, no doubt from the gash left by Peck. This battle was winding up to be one of the few times he wasn’t sure who would pull out the win.
This time, the unnamed trainer got the commands out first.
“Nidoran, you got this buddy, use Quick Attack to get in close and then Focus Kick!”
Ash absentmindedly wondered what ‘Focus Kick’ was but quickly realized the trainer had just combined two moves at the same time. Which was unexpected for newer trainers at the beginning of the season.
Amelia wasn’t giving him a chance though.
“Albion, I believe in you! Gust one more time, then finish it with a Dive Bomb!”
Another move Ash wasn’t familiar with, but this one didn’t seem like a combination of two moves.
Nidoran was enveloped in Normal energy as it sped forward and jumped high in the air. It never got the chance to finish the attack as Pidgey chose that moment to hit it with its full power Gust, knocking Nidoran off course and onto the ground.
Before it even had a chance to recover, Pidgey tucked in its wings and dived towards Nidoran, its beak glowing as it landed with a cloud of dirt and debris. Once the dust settled, Ash couldn’t believe his eyes.
Barely standing was Nidoran, favoring its front left leg heavily with several cuts and bruises, and a gash on its chest. Pidgey on the other hand was out cold, covered in dirt and missing a few feathers. Although in the glance he got, it thankfully looked like its wings weren’t broken.
The unnamed trainer whooped in celebration while Amelia returned her Pidgey, whispering to the ball before attaching it back to her belt. After that, she called out to the trainer with a small grin on her face.
“That was a great battle and your Nidoran is super strong, I’ll beat you in our rematch though.”
The guy met the smirk, his Nidoran’s ball back on his belt.
“Sure thing, that was a fun battle! I'll have to get your number though for that rematch.”
Ash rolled his eyes at the attempt to flirt and promptly started moving, his team beside him, while Amelia just deflected. Saying they’d battle when they met again on the road, as she never forgot a face.
With a defeated sigh, the guy took his winnings and moved toward Viridian as the trio kept moving towards Pewter.
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The Pokémon Center was slightly busy, but Ash and his friends got their rooms alright. The sun was starting to set by the time the group got to Pewter and after the past week they and their Pokémon had. They stuck to a very quick dinner before calling it a night to enjoy an actual bed.
Ash walked into his room and immediately released his team, before flicking off his shoes and getting in his underwear and under the covers. Glancing to see Trapinch had laid down on one of the small Pokémon beds, while Eevee curled up beside him. Her breathing and body heat drew him into a blissful slumber.
Ash woke with a yawn and felt Eevee still curled up beside him, taking a moment to relax in a bed for the first time in weeks before getting up. Once he got up though, his lack of presence woke Eevee up and his footsteps did the same for Trapinch.
Realizing he forgot to plug his Incubator in last night in the desire for sleep, Ash grabbed one of the charging cables provided at every Pokémon Center before plugging the Incubator in. Watching as the battery started charging up from 30%. Satisfied, he started making breakfast for his team, since he did wake them up after all.
As his team ate their breakfast Ash started getting ready for the day himself, and that started with a glorious hot shower. After that, he enjoyed some quality time with his team, before going downstairs for breakfast himself.
Seeing that Amelia was already downstairs Ash joined her after grabbing some pancakes, bacon, and eggs off the cart. Making small talk and bouncing off their plans for Brock between each other for any flaws. Dakota joined them a while later and they went over his plan as well.
Finally, Dakota asked the question they were all silently wondering.
“So, who gets to fight Brock first?”
Ash wasn’t about to take one for the team again and tried to come up with a fair, unbiased, and universally agreeable way to settle a dispute as serious as battling the Gym leader first.
“Rock, paper, scissors?”
They all agreed and within an hour they were out front of the Gym. A large imposing structure that looked to be cut from a mountain itself. With large rocky walls and a jagged roof, it was an ideal choice for the Rock Gym. Ash would be going first as he won rock paper scissors, and Amelia second since she beat Dakota.
The trio shivered as another gust of wind blew through them, while Summer officially started three days ago, it was 50 degrees in the city. Combine that with the higher elevation, surrounding mountains, and the cold front that moved in from the north. The wind made it feel like it was barely above freezing.
Moving inside the imposing structure to get out of the wind, the trio found themselves in front of the Rock Gym desk attendant. A younger boy, probably twelve or so if Ash had to guess, greeted them. They were the first ones there for the day it seemed, which made sense considering it was relatively early.
“Hey there, the three of us are here to battle Brock.”
The kid looked up from his comic. “Okay, what order will you three be fighting in, and how many badges do you currently have?”
Ash spoke up, pointing to each person as he introduced them.
“Myself Ash Ketchum, then Amelia Green, and Dakota Richard. We all have zero badges.”
The kid typed the information into the computer, and after he finished, he looked back at the trio.
“Alright, so for zero badge holders, I have a slot tomorrow at 10am, then two back-to-back slots two days later. One at 2pm and another at 6pm. After that, I wouldn’t be able to get you in until next week. Oh, and there is a four-hour period between battles.”
The trio looked at each other before Ash shrugged his shoulders, that schedule fit their timeline, and the wait period made sense. None of them had really thought about it before, but Gym Leaders didn’t have an infinite source of properly trained Pokémon. They no doubt needed time in between so their Pokémon could be treated, win or lose.
With their time slots secured, the group then made a short walk over to the Pewter City Pokémart. The blue roof making it stand out from the other stores as the standard for all trainer essentials.
Ash breathed in the warm air of the building and felt his friends do the same. They didn’t pack any warm clothes, and their rain jackets only did so much. Taking a moment to warm themselves up, the trio went about browsing the multilevel store.
Double-checking his balance on his Pokédex which read $5,647.00 Ash made his way over to the essentials. Thankfully his stipend hit that morning, so he had a decent amount to spend on items that would hopefully make his life easier.
After taking note of the price for trainer meals, and the Pokémon food base for Normal-types and Ground-types, he began to walk around the rest of the store. He had enough food currently for his team since the Center provided free breakfast & dinner for all Trainers & their Pokémon, Ash only had to worry about lunch.
He had enough leftovers that should last them the rest of their time in Pewter, and there was no need to lug around food for a whole week. So, after figuring in the food he would buy when they left, the travel time to Cerulean, and leaving some for an emergency.
Ash was left with $4,500 in spending money. He immediately made his way over to the luxuries and bit back a growl of frustration. A small Silph Co. Bag was $7,000 while the larger ones were closer to $32,000.
It would have to be something he saved up even more for, so after taking $1,000 out of his $4,500 to start saving for the bag he looked around more to see what the biggest company in Kanto offered.
Glancing at the tent options, only to disregard them immediately, as they too were priced in the several thousand-dollar range. He kept looking, grabbing a compact grooming kit for Eevee, and a cleaning kit that would be perfect for Trapinch, Ash moved on to the other aisles.
Disregarding the battling items, TM, and Evolution Stone sections completely. He knew for a fact he didn’t have that type of money. He eventually found his way to the Pokéball customization in every Pokémart eyeing the prices and trying, but failing to hide his anguish.
For custom engravings/designs they were a minimum of $1,000 a piece, while special effects that would appear when the ball was released were a minimum of $2,500 per effect. Even just swapping his teammates to a different Pokéball was $200 not including the price of the ball.
Grunting, he made his way back to the counter to pay for what he had. While he hadn’t expected to get everything he wanted, he was hoping he would have managed to get a few things, but he vastly underestimated how expensive everything was.
Delaying the ball customization to a later date Ash began to store the items he bought into his traveling bag. The two grooming kits he got for his Pokémon, a few treats that had pieces of Sitrus Berry mixed in with other key nutrients, perfect for training, and a Pokéball magnet attachment for his glove.
He had spent $1,300 dollars and overall felt good about his purchases. He had plenty of treats for their training in Pewter, and his purchases would allow him to bond more with his friends and help keep them healthy and clean. Plus, the attachment for his glove would make it so his Pokéballs would return to his hand after being thrown.
He still wasn’t sure how it worked, but the clerk had said that after connecting the glove to his trainer account. Anytime he threw one of his Pokéballs, the magnet would track the Pokéballs' unique signature and pull it back to his hand. So now, he didn’t have to release his team directly in front of him.
Holding off on attaching it and trying it out immediately, Ash made his way back to the Pokémon Center. Sending a message via the Pokédex to his friends that they should meet back there for dinner, he made his way to his room.
Dropping off his new items and making sure his Egg and Incubator were still okay, Ash went back down to the main part of the Center. Logging on to one of the many computers and hooking up his Pokédex to it so it could provide more information. He’d call his mom and the professor after he was done.
He wanted to first check and see what Pokémon have been caught in the area this season and in past seasons. He also wanted to see if there were any alerts on Pokémon from the League that needed to be caught to be relocated. Those usually paid well but were sometimes locked to a certain badge count if it was considered dangerous.
Removing the Geodude & Zubat line from the list Ash checked what was remaining and frowned slightly. While in, and around Mt Moon, there were a couple of Rhyhorn, Roggenrola, and Onix. There wasn’t much else in the way of Rock-types.
The surrounding area also didn’t show anything that Ash really wanted to hunt for. No Deerling had been caught in the past two months, which meant the few that migrated to the Viridian Forest had most likely left already.
The Numel and Phanpy lines also seemed to have left the area, and he didn’t really want any of the Nidoran, Sandshrew, or Cubone lines. The only Pokémon that Ash wanted to add to his team that seemed to be in the area was one of the Rufflet, Tyrogue, or Riolu line.
All of which showed a member of their species being caught a couple of weeks apart, close to the top of Mt. Moon. While he was interested and might come back at a late date, he wasn’t prepared to hike to the top and didn’t want to drag Dakota or Amelia along to a dangerous area underequipped.
With his mind made up that he wouldn’t bring up the idea of going to Mt. Moon’s peak first, Ash went to log off the computer and make an overdue phone call to his mother but stopped himself at the last second.
He was curious what the current price for some Pokémon around Pewter were, and if it would be worth the effort to catch and sell them since Pokéballs were $200 apiece. Scrolling past the Geodude and Zubat which sold for $300- $400 depending on its ability, as they weren’t worth the effort.
All it took was one to break out of the ball and he lost money. Interestingly, Sandshrew and Onix were going for $700 and a Rhyhorn was going for about $850. Making a note to catch any of those Pokémon if he saw them, he made his way over to the video phones for what would no doubt be a long phone call.
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Ash couldn’t stop bouncing his leg as He, Amelia, and Dakota waited in the Gym waiting room. His call with his mom hadn’t been pleasant at first; she had ripped him a new one over not calling in so long, but after hearing a tame version of events her anger turned into pride.
She hadn’t stopped saying how proud she was of him for helping in the dangerous scenarios and that he would’ve made his father proud, which he would be lying if he said it didn’t form a lump in his throat.
The rest of their conversation consisted of updates on her life, and after they ended the call, Ash turned right around to call Professor Oak to give some updates on his Egg and team. He also told The Professor about his journey to Pewter, giving him a more accurate retelling of events for advice.
The Professor, to Ash’s shock, told him in no uncertain terms to not engage Team Rocket and to contact the authorities immediately. He was still processing the hard line and tone the usually kind and supportive Professor took on Ash helping the Williams family.
He was broken out of his musings as one of the Gym trainers who had four Pokéballs on their belt spoke up to him and his group.
“Will the challenger please go through the double doors to the right so you can be prepped for your battle? Meanwhile, if the two who are not battling would follow me, I’ll lead you to the stands.”
After his friends bid him good luck. Ash made his way through the double doors and was met by another small area where a woman, who looked to be in her late 30s, smiled at him.
“Hello, my name is Tania, is this your first Gym Battle?”
Ash nodded his head. With his confirmation, Tania talked a little about how all gyms worked.
“So, I am going to hook this Microphone up. All Gym Challenges are recorded, and this microphone not only saves the audio but also lets spectators hear you more clearly. All Gym Leaders will go over the rules for their match on the field. Any questions?”
Only one popped into his mind and after she explained that his recording would automatically be on his trainer account after forty-eight hours, he stepped through the double doors to face Brock.
Taking in the giant room quickly and the bright overhead lights, Ash made his way to the pedestal, shocked to see a decent crowd of people in the stands. Although he supposed if he lived in a city with a gym, he would watch challenger battles all the time.
Focusing back on the Gym Leader, Ash turned towards Brock who was sitting on a rock-like throne. Once they made eye contact, the Gym Leader stood and gave Ash a warm smile. Although, it was impossible to tell its sincerity as Brock was squinting so hard it was difficult to see his eyes.
Ash also noticed he was older than he expected. He thought Brock would be about his own age of sixteen, but the new Gym Leader actually seemed to be closer to his mid 20’s than eighteen like the rumors said.
“Welcome Challenger to the Pewter City Gym. I am Brock. What is your name, and where are you from?”
“Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town.”
He winced slightly as his voice came out louder than he intended, forgetting he had a microphone on. Brock for his part seemed unfazed.
“It is nice to meet you, Ash, this will be a 2 on 2 battle. A point will be given when either side’s Pokémon is either returned or unable to continue. Are you ready?”
Ash nodded his head, holding on to Trapinch’s Pokéball and releasing Eevee to stand next to him to watch; he wanted to save her for the Onix. Taking a moment to admire the massive dirt arena that was at least a football field in length, and then some.
With at least forty-foot ceilings, and a huge rock outcropping on the right side of the field, that no doubt provided cover and ammunition for Brock’s specialty.
“Go Geodude!”
Ash studied the Geodude as he released Trapinch, absentmindedly catching the ball like he had practiced the night before. The Geodude looked to be strong, its arms larger than the example given in the Pokédex, and seemed to have no issues using its innate magnetism to float.
“Ahhh a Trapinch, that is quite rare in Kanto. I assume you paid the Williams family quite well for one?”
Ash shook his head. “Actually, I helped them out of a bind. I don't like paying for my family.”
Brock just chuckled as realization dawned on him.
“Well said, now let’s begin. Geodude, Rock Throw, follow it with Tackle!”
Ash watched amazed as Geodude grabbed a massive boulder the size of an average Graveler with one hand before throwing it at Trapinch.
“Trapinch Dig! Then hit it with Bite!”
Ash held his breath as the rock smashed where Trapinch was moments ago, afraid the battle was over already and Trapinch hadn’t had enough time to get underground. His worries were assuaged when Trapinch burst from underneath Geodude knocking it off balance.
He was thankful for the training he had done with Trapinch after his call with Professor Oak, and the advice he had given him on how to find a Geodude that was floating above the ground. The Professor ended up recommending that Ash hang rocks around the training grounds, having Trapinch sense them.
As Trapinch went in for the Bite, Geodude punched him to the side, causing Trapinch to slide several feet. While Trapinch was recovering, Geodude pushed its advantage. Tackling him just as he got back up.
Thankfully Trapinch used Bite on the arm wrapped around its face causing Geodude to stop its Tackle and grunt out in pain. Ash quickly took advantage of the shift in momentum.
“Trapinch use Sand Tomb, then Bug Bite if it's still up!”
Trapinch took a massive breath, manipulating the ground into sand around Geodude in a twister-like trap. Making it hard for Geodude to see and getting some irritation in the eyes. Trapinch chose the moment Geodude started to clear its eyes to attack.
Channeling the Bug-type energy, Trapinch moved forward. Leaving several small bites across Geodudes body, as the battered Rock-type fell over into unconsciousness.
Brock returned Geodude, looking at Ash a little more closely.
“Well done, but that Sand Tomb trick won't work on Onix!”
Ash had to hold back a whistle as Brock’s twenty-foot-long Onix appeared on the battlefield, and despite its size, seemed perfectly at home in the indoor stadium. Ash grimaced as he noticed Trapinch swaying slightly on its feet; his friend was clearly tired.
“Trapinch, you know the plan! Dig.”
Brock chuckled as Trapinch disappeared.
“You know that won’t work right? Onix can feel the vibrations in the ground, and it will dodge your Trapinch every time. Onix, hit it with your tail when it comes up.”
Ash smirked internally. Of course, he knew Onix could sense Dig with its part Ground-typing, but with the network of tunnels Trapinch and Eevee would make. They would ideally create a sinkhole trapping the behemoth, allowing Eevee to attack the weak spot on its head, while it had significantly less mobility.
After Trapinch built what was hopefully a handful of Tunnels he popped out of the ground in an attempt to do some damage to Onix but was swiftly met with its tail and hit the psychic barriers. Falling to the ground with a thud and collapsing into unconsciousness.
Ash returned his friend, congratulating him on a job well done. He then motioned to Eevee, who jumped into the arena ready to fight, bringing a smile to Ash’s face. Brock seemed shocked at the decision for a moment before giving his order.
“Onix, Rock Tomb.”
Onix focused and Ash watched in fascination as several boulders the size of cars made their way to Eevee, trapping her on all sides before another rock came and smashed down from above. Ash wasn’t concerned though, he knew Eevee would use Dig, not needing his instruction as they had practiced for this moment for over a week now.
After several minutes of Brock looking at the battlefield wondering where Eevee went, and Onix studying the ground closely. She appeared but used Quick Attack to get away from Onix’s tail, landing several feet away.
“Onix, Tackle! Follow it with Wrap.”
Ash grinned as Brock fell right into his trap. Onix Tackled towards Eevee, only to be stunned as the ground shifted and collapsed underneath it. The network of tunnels lowered the structural integrity of the ground, and with Onix’s weight on top, forced a collapse, creating a sinkhole.
“Eevee Double Kick now!”
Eevee’s feet glowed white as she channeled her energy before hitting the Onix, who was slightly injured from the unexpected eight-foot drop, but mostly disoriented. Meaning when Eevee hit it with a Double Kick it wasn’t prepared for, she managed to knock it into unconsciousness.
Ash was shocked as he heard applause from the stands and couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he saw everyone in the audience standing and clapping for him. Making his way down from the pedestal his attention was turned to Brock as the Gym Leader congratulated him. Internally he wondered how the Gym Leader made it to his side of the field so fast.
“Well done Ash! It is with honor that I now present you with the Boulder Badge. Not many zero badge holders manage to beat me without a grass or water type, I’m impressed. I ask that when you get stronger you come back here for a rematch.”
“Thank you Brock, I would be happy to beat you a second time.”
Brock nodded his head and laughed at Ash’s confidence. The young Ketchum admired the gray badge which seemed to have its own sheen to it, putting it away in his badge case. The Charizard on the front gleamed under the bright stadium lights.
‘The first of eight.’
Ash thought to himself as Brock spoke up now that he was done admiring the badge.
“You are welcome Ash. Your prize amount of $3,500 will be deposited to your trainer account by the end of the day, and for beating me without a type advantage, I would like to present you with a TM. You have the choice of Rock Tomb, Rollout, and Bulldoze.”
Ash took the Bulldoze TM, and after finding out he didn’t have a TM Case, Brock provided him with one and explained how to use a TM. He also explained that the TM would be unusable after its first use.
Teaching Trapinch Bulldoze would save him weeks of time & training, and it would also be invaluable in helping his friend eventually learn Earthquake. Thanking Brock one last time he went back out to the waiting entrance to talk to Dakota & Amelia about his battle.
The smile on his face was massive and he couldn’t wait to tell everyone about his victory. The smile grew even larger as he thought about sending the footage to Gary. There was no way his rival had come up with a better strategy, he probably just used his Squirtle the whole time.
With that final thought, he opened the doors and greeted his friends.