Two days later, Ash found himself back in the Pewter City Gym’s stands beside Dakota with a substantially larger crowd. Although, for his own pride, he correlated the reason to it being the weekend and a bit later in the day.
Ash and Dakota made small talk about their plans for the group's last two days in Pewter. Ash was in the midst of talking about the training regime plan he had for Trapinch when the lights brightened, and a different announcer from his battle came to life on the speakers.
“Ladies & Gentleman, we have four matches on the docket today. We start in a few short minutes with a Zero badge battle, followed by a One Badge, another Zero Badge, and at 7:00 we will have a friendly spar between Brock and the previous Gym Leader Flint!!!”
Ash was amazed at how loud the crowd got as they cheered about the 7:00 fight.
“Now, our first match of the day will begin in a few short moments! Make sure you have your snacks from the concession stand, as this is sure to be a good one.”
Dakota and Ash shared a look, and the second Amelia walked through the double doors, the two boys immediately whooped and hollered for their friend causing her to blush immensely. She was able to almost immediately pick out the two from the crowd and sent a glare that promised pain later.
A few of what must've been trainers, judging by the Pokéballs on their belts, looked at them a bit odd but turned their attention back to the battlefield as Brock appeared on his throne. No doubt wanting to know what to expect when they had their matches.
“Welcome Challenger to the Pewter City Gym. I am Brock. What is your name, and where are you from?”
“Amelia Green, from Pallet Town.”
“Ahh, I assume you are traveling with Ash from the other day?”
At her nod Brock continued on, a new glint in his eyes.
“Nice to meet you Amelia, I look forward to this match. It 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?”
Amelia nodded, and with the confirmation Brock threw out his Geodude again, looking good as new. Amelia pondered for a second before releasing her Bulbasaur which took a ready stance.
“Ahh a Bulbasaur, I'll have you know Amelia; this won't be as easy as you think. Geodude, Rock Throw! Then hit it with Mud-Slap.”
Brock didn’t seem fazed at all despite the type advantage. Grass and Water-types were extremely effective against Rock/Ground-types, and easily punched through their usually stronger-than-rock carapace.
Amelia thankfully wasn’t idle, and what Bulbasaur lacked in speed it made up for in defense as it grabbed the thrown rock with its vines, throwing it off to the side. It wasn’t fast enough to dodge the Mud-Slap though. Causing the wet dirt to cake onto Bulbasaur.
Ash was curious if its accuracy would be affected, from his perspective it seemed the mud had caked onto its bulb and eyes. Time would tell though and at Amelia’s command, Bulbasaur launched into a flurry of attacks.
First, shaking dozens of paralysis spores onto the battlefield that would lock up Geodude's nervous system for the rest of the match if it inhaled any. Then, its vines shot forward at tremendous speed whipping across Geodudes body and causing massive damage to the Rock-type.
Unfortunately for Geodude, it gasped out in pain as the vines slashed across its carapace which allowed for the paralysis spores to get into its bloodstream, locking it up. Brock recalled his Geodude conceding the round.
Amelia congratulated her Bulbasaur on a job well done, to which he warbled back cheerfully, focusing once again as Brock released his Onix. Onix started off with Dig and Ash was certain Bulbasaur would be done for, considering the mud on its body would slow it down and give it no time to dodge.
“Ivy, use Sleep Powder! Then, when Onix comes from underneath, propel yourself away with your vines!”
Brock grimaced, as there was no way to communicate to his companion the danger that awaited him. Ash had to give it to Amelia, it was an ingenious plan.
Right as Bulbasaur got done shaking the Sleep Powder out of its bulb, the dirt below it shifted, and the Grass/Poison-type used its vines to propel it to the right. Just in time to avoid getting hit by the massive Onix, who inhaled the Sleep Powder as it announced its arrival from the ground.
Bulbasaur followed its dodge with a Vine-Whip as the massive creature started to sway, the potent Sleep Powder alluring it into a blissful slumber. Had it been a smaller Pokémon, they would’ve already been asleep by now, or possibly on the cusp of death with how much Onix inhaled.
That wasn’t an issue though for the giant rock snake as the Vine-Whip made contact across its snout, leaving two slashes, and causing it to roar in pain. In retaliation, Onix slammed Bulbasaur with its tail against the psychic barrier, and Amelia’s starter landed with a cloud of dust.
Ash grimaced, that was a hard hit, if Bulbasaur got up after that, he would be impressed. Once the dust finally settled, Ash was shocked to see Bulbasaur still standing. She was blotched in bruises however and seemed to favor her right side.
“You got this Ivy! One more Vine Whip and that’ll finish it!”
Bulbasaur stood a bit straighter at Amelia's words of encouragement; it was short-lived however as Onix wrapped up the poor creature before it could use the grass move. Forcing Amelia to recall her starter.
It wasn’t for naught though, as Onix was swaying slightly due to the effects of the Sleep Powder it inhaled and the only thing keeping it up was pure determination. Amelia whispered to Bulbasaur’s Pokéball before replacing it with her Pidgey.
“Go Albion!”
Her Pidgey was immediately at attention, ready for battle. While Brock’s face went from stoic to confused at the appearance of the Kanto Bird.
“Interesting choice Amelia, you do know Flying-types are weak to Rock right?”
She bobbed her head, determination flaring in her eyes. Brock smirked, motioning to the ref to resume the match.
“Onix! Rock Throw, then Bind!”
“Albion, up! Then hit it with Gust, focus on evasion!”
Immediately her Pidgey was in the air dodging the first couple of rocks before an opening appeared, landing a Gust that didn’t do much more than irritate the rock snake. Amelia would have to think of something, and quickly, her Pidgey couldn’t do enough damage to knock Onix out.
“Albion, Gust again! Aim for the right of Onix!”
Ash glanced in the direction and saw what she was trying to do, behind Onix lay a pile of bright green powder. If Pidgey could get that on the Onix, Amelia would have a chance.
Brock noticed it too and was immediately on the defensive.
“Don’t let up Onix! Rock Tomb!”
Pidgey continued to dodge the rocks that were coming from all directions at this point, Onix no longer trying to hit the bird but trap it. Ash could see the strain Pidgey was experiencing from the exertion, Amelia would have to do something quickly if she wanted to win the Boulder Badge.
“Alright Albion, Quick Attack! Get behind Onix, I believe in you!”
Pidgey, despite his exhaustion, followed its trainer's command. Putting on a burst of speed and getting behind the Onix, Pidgey got off a Gust that hit the Sleep Powder, spreading it all over the Rock/Ground-type. With the second high dose finally putting the behemoth to sleep.
Brock returned his companion and Amelia jumped for joy congratulating her Pidgey on a great job. The spectators all also burst into applause, Ash and Dakota arguably the loudest, as they celebrated their friend winning a hard & well-fought battle.
A few minutes later, Ash and Dakota found themselves in the waiting room as Amelia came through the challenger doors, a gigantic smile on her face.
“I got the Badge! Plus, Brock gave me the Rock Tomb TM! He said he normally doesn’t give them out to challengers who used a Pokémon that had a type advantage, but since I also used Pidgey who was weak to rock he felt it was appropriate!”
The two boys congratulated her, as they made their way to the Pokémon Center so Nurse Joy could treat Amelia’s Pokémon. They had a couple hours to kill till Dakota’s match, and the trio spent it helping him prepare.
Soon, Ash found himself back in the spectator area. This time with Amelia as his companion, while Dakota was getting prepped for his match against Brock.
Amelia was slightly downtrodden, and Ash understood why. Onix had done a number on her Bulbasaur, and while her starter would be fine. The Grass/Poison-type wasn’t able to be released back in Amelia's care until the next morning.
The thought caused Ash to brush his hand over the two Pokéballs on his belt. He still remembered what it was like as his Trapinch was being cared for overnight after the Scyther attack.
He made the decision to release his friends to watch this battle and encouraged Amelia to do the same with her Pidgey. Pidgey didn’t have any injuries that needed treatment thankfully, the poor bird was just exhausted. Nurse Joy just recommended no more battles for the day to allow the Flying-type to recover its strength.
It wasn’t long until their Pokémon began to play with each other as they waited for the match to begin, putting a smile on Ash and Amelia’s face.
They were broken out of their trance, as Dakota made his way on stage, and Brock’s booming voice carried through the arena. Their Pokémon also stopped playing and focused on the battle that was about to take place.
“Welcome Challenger to the Pewter City Gym. I am Brock. What is your name, and where are you from?”
“Dakota Richard, from Pallet Town.”
“Nice to meet you Dakota. Your friends proved to be quite strong, I wonder how you compare? It 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?”
At Dakota’s nod, Brock released a Rhyhorn. Which Ash was sure came as a shock to everyone but Brock. Rhyhorn jumped around in what Ash guessed was excitement before slowing down and preparing for battle at Brock's command.
Dakota got over his surprise well enough before releasing his Charmander, Ash thought it was an odd choice considering Charmander would be his best bet against Onix.
Brock stared at Charmander for a minute. No doubt trying to determine if it had the capability for Metal Claw.
“Ahhh a Charmander, let’s see what you got! Rhyhorn, Tackle. Follow it with a Fury Cutter, and then Tackle again!”
Ash continued to be surprised when Dakota didn’t give any commands. He soon realized why, as Charmander seemed to brace itself, ready for the incoming Tackle. Then, at the last possible second, the fire lizard's claws grew a brilliant silver and Charmander put on a burst of speed.
Dodging the Tackle and raking its claws against the charging Rhyhorn’s side. Rhyhorn roared in pain before turning, about to charge again but stopping at Brock’s command.
“I see you trained hard for this battle and taught your Charmander Metal Claw, good work. But you’ll need more than that to win! Rhyhorn, Smack Down, then follow it with Bulldoze!
A huge amalgamation of rock appeared above Charmander’s head before slamming down, the Fire-type just barely dodging out of the way. But before the dust cloud could even settle, the ground started shaking, causing Charmander to lose its footing.
Thankfully Dakota wasn’t idle. “Helios, Ember! Then Smokescreen, get in close and finish it with Metal Claw!”
Charmander found its footing and immediately fired an Ember at the Rock-type. While it didn’t do a lot of damage, it did make the creature lose its concentration on Bulldoze. Charmander took advantage of the opportunity and began to fill the arena with smoke.
Rhyhorn began to panic, thrashing about but calmed slightly at Brock’s soothing words. Its wild instincts made Ash wonder if this was a recent capture from the Gym Leader. While he had yet to experience it, having not caught a wild Pokémon, he had seen it in Amelia & Dakota’s recent teammates.
It only really showed when they were battling each other. Pidgey or Mankey would panic, or attack without being told. Thankfully they all learned how to drive out those instincts in Trainer School. It was more a matter of time and hard work to train away those initial reactions, but it was still nice to know that even Gym Leaders had the same problems.
Ash was broken out of his musings as Rhyhorn let loose a roar of pain. His attention was back on the battle, seeing a flash of silver through the black smoke, shortly followed by another roar of pain. Realizing his Rhyhorn had lost as the smoke from the Smokescreen cleared, Brock returned his newer companion in a flash of Scarlet.
“Well done, this battle isn’t over yet though, Go Onix!”
Ash was somewhat shocked, he assumed Brock’s Onix would’ve needed more time to recover. At first, he thought he just had multiple, but Ash could still see the marks from Vine Whip earlier in the day. His attention turned to Amelia’s Pidgey as it gave an indignant squawk but calmed at Amelia’s words.
“Tackle, then Bind. Keep its arms pinned, it knows Metal Claw.”
Onix gave a rumble as it sped towards Charmander, which looked like a small fiery ant compared to the size of Onix. Once again, Dakota didn’t give any directions, but Brock was prepared for this trick and before Charmander could dodge at the last second, Brock reacted.
“Bind now!”
Immediately the rock snake Pokémon’s tail wrapped around the small Fire-type before it had a chance to react, pinning its arms to the side as it began to squeeze. Charmander yowled in pain and Ash was curious what Dakota would do.
Charmander didn’t do enough damage for Mankey to finish it off. He figured that they would have to stay another week before Dakota could challenge the gym again. He was broken out of his thoughts at Dakota’s odd command.
“Helios, Ember! Aim straight above you!”
The Ember completely missed Onix, but after a second Ash realized that Onix wasn’t what Dakota was aiming for. As the Ember hit one of the exposed sprinklers, setting off the sprinkler system and dousing the arena in water. Onix released Charmander in pain as the water droplets hit the Rock-type.
Charmander didn’t look to be in great shape either, as its tail flame was dangerously small, and bruising was starting to appear around its midsection where the Onix had wrapped it so tight. Not to mention, the water was most likely an equally painful experience for Charmander as well.
But to Ash’s surprise, Brock returned his Pokémon, causing Dakota to do the same. No doubt in his mind that the two didn’t want their Pokémon in any more pain. It was hard to tell, but Ash felt as though Brock had a bit of mirth in his eyes as he spoke.
“Attention all. It seems as though the Fire-type Charmander has let off quite a powerful water attack and we now need to clean up the arena for the next challenger. Will all spectators please make their way to the waiting room.”
Ash grinned, glad that Brock didn’t seem outwardly upset at the slightly unfair tactic. Turning his attention to his Pokémon, Ash returned Trapinch. Noticing that while he didn’t seem to be in pain, the Ground-type was noticeably uncomfortable with the water raining down on it.
Eevee just followed her trainer and once they were in the waiting room, shook all the water out of her fur causing Ash to somehow get more soaked.
“Ack, why’d you go and do that?”
Eevee just snickered, leaving Ash to try and dry himself off as Amelia did the same. A couple of minutes later, Dakota came out with a huge smile on his face.
“I got the Badge and the Rollout TM! Brock said it was because of my ingenuity to use the environment around me, plus the fact that a Fire-type rarely wins at his gym, especially while taking out both Pokémon. He did take $1,000 of my prize money though for damages which sucks, but I suppose it’s fair!”
Ash agreed and Brock’s decision made sense. He couldn't imagine it was free to fix the damaged sprinkler or clean up all the water. He absentmindedly wondered if Brock would protect the sprinklers in the future as any challenger could just set them off and win their match.
Either way, Ash thought Dakota got pretty lucky only losing $1,000 of prize money, as they made their way to Pokémon Center. Brock could’ve reacted very differently, considering all the cleanup. Plus the future headache new challengers would bring, no doubt trying to set off the sprinkler system for an easy win.
By the time the trio made it to the Pokémon Center, it was late, and they had a couple more days left in Pewter that Ash was going to make the most of. He already planned on giving his Pokémon nicknames in the morning if they wanted them.
And, the trio already planned on visiting the Pewter Museum in the afternoon before leaving Pewter City the following day. With the rest of their stay in the mountain city roughly planned out, Ash bid his two friends goodnight and retired to his room.
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The cool morning air once again bit into Ash’s skin, and while he had gotten used to it during the day. The mornings were always worse, as his body craved the warm bed it had recently left at the Pokémon Center. It didn’t help that even a warm breeze seemed like a breath from Articuno in comparison to being under the covers in bed.
Ash refused to let the cold stop him though. He had a goal before he and his team got started with their morning training, and before they left for the Pewter Museum. Something long overdue.
Releasing his team in a flash of light, he greeted them and laid out his plan for their training this morning. It was nothing extremely complicated. Just continuing work on Swift with Eevee and Bulldoze for Trapinch.
Before they could get started however, he stopped them. A colony of Butterfree in his gut, as this was something that he should've done when he first got his teammates. Better late than never he supposed.
“Um, Eevee, Trapinch. I wanted to know how you felt about nicknames, and whether or not you two would want one?”
Eevee signaled her enthusiasm with a sharp cry and jumped in her trainer's arms, excitement clear on her face. While Trapinch nodded his head enthusiastically giving a warble of approval.
Ash smiled, the sense of relief flooding him, glad that they didn’t resent him for taking so long. While he knew he would never need a nickname to distinguish his Pokémon, he never thought to consider that they might want one to distinguish themselves.
Bringing his mind to the present he focused on a name that would fit each of his Pokémon, focusing on his starter first as it was only fair. A few names ran through his head, like Sunshine & Aurora but they just didn’t fit her.
After a couple more minutes he had three options he liked and looked at his starter who seemed to be slightly impatient. Eevee immediately turned down the idea of Dawn & Strawberry, which left him with one other option that he felt could best describe his starter.
“Eevee, how do you feel about Artemis? She was one of the fiercest leaders Kanto has ever seen. She was also a phenomenal hunter, hunting down and taking out tyrants of her time, and she was the first woman to become Champion in Kanto too!”
Eevee considered it for a bit before nodding her head with a smile on her face. Eevee, now named Artemis, had to jump out of her trainer's lap as he jumped up in glee. Ash then turned to Trapinch who had waited patiently the entire time Ash thought of Eevee’s new name.
As with Artemis, he had a few that popped into his mind instantly like Drake and Sandstorm but threw those away as being too generic. Trapinch meanwhile tossed away the idea of Sahara and Emerald. Finally, Ash thought of one he knew Trapinch would appreciate.
“Trapinch, how about Imperial? Flygon are considered to be kings of the desert, but you won’t just be a king, you’ll become an Emperor! Ruling over kings with strength & power, of which you will have plenty.”
Trapinch warbled his approval and Ash grinned, happy that his friends were happy with their nicknames. With that out of the way, they began their morning training, only having an hour or two before they would meet Dakota & Amelia at the museum.
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Ash and his Pokémon took a moment to admire the Pewter Museum. The large building towered over him and was incredibly regal in appearance, with tall marble columns, an emblem of an Aerodactyl etched in gold across the archway, and a jagged slate roof as though it was built into a mountain.
The Pewter Museum was a work of art in itself. Taking in the building's exterior a moment longer Ash and his team made their way up the steps and into the museum. It wasn’t long until Ash had made it past the entryway and into the lobby to wait for his friends.
Thankfully, while he was buying his ticket, the receptionist told him that because of his Pokémon’s size, he was allowed to keep them out of their Pokéballs. Knowing that Amelia and Dakota were on their way, Ash took a moment to appreciate the lobby and the exhibits the museum was offering for this season.
There was the staple Fossil Exhibit, which had two new recent discoveries from Kalos, and the Human History Exhibit. Which outlined the major milestones of humanity since its creation, both of those exhibits being on the right.
Then, the museum had its two seasonal exhibits on the left. Per his conversation with the receptionist, this year the museum had a traveling Pokémon League Exhibit that was in town for a month and a Legendary Exhibit that told the history of the Kanto & Johto legends.
Ash was in the middle of trying to decide what exhibit he wanted to visit first when his friends walked in.
“Hey, Ash! How was training this morning?”
Amelia’s questions startled him slightly, but he didn’t let it show, instead taking a second to greet his friends before answering her question.
“It went well, Artemis & Imperial I think really enjoyed it!”
A look of confusion appeared on both Amelia & Dakota’s faces before realization dawned on them, that he finally gave his teammates nicknames.
Dakota was the first to speak up, “I like it, those are some quality nicknames Ash.”
Amelia nodded her head in agreement, “Really unique too. I see what you did naming Eevee Artemis, I like it!”
Ash smiled and his teammates also voiced their happiness with their nicknames. Not one to let the conversation end, Dakota spoke up.
“So Ash, do you have an order you want to visit the exhibits in?”
Ash nodded his head.
“Yeah, I was thinking we go right to left, starting with the Fossil and Humanity Exhibits. Then into the Pokémon League History and finish with the Legendary Exhibit?”
With his friends' agreement, they all headed towards the Fossil Exhibit. Once inside however, Ash thought he may have made a wrong decision starting with this one, as there was no way the other exhibits could top it.
There was a huge Aerodactyl skeleton that hung from the rafters as a part of the centerpiece in the room, flying above the rock formation in the middle. Ash’s attention was then drawn to the Omastar & Kabutops skeletons that were placed about the rock formation; their pre-evolutions were also scattered around the centerpiece.
Ash nearly lost it though as he turned to his right and noticed the aquarium in the room, with what seemed to be a living Kabuto in the tank. The entourage immediately made their way towards the resurrected fossil and Ash still couldn’t quite believe it.
He knew everywhere around the world was working on resurrecting Fossil Pokémon and knew one of them had to have been successful when Lance pulled out an Aerodactyl of his own in a championship battle the previous year.
It was still different seeing it in person, and after taking some time to study the ancient Pokémon, they were allowed to touch it with the encouragement of the Museum staff. Touching the Kabuto’s hard shell with his own hands was a surreal feeling, one that immediately made the $200 entry fee worth it in his eyes.
Turning his attention to the staff member that encouraged them to touch the Pokémon, wondering how in the world the museum accomplished such a feat.
“Well,” they started.
“I am not privy to all the details, but what I can say is that I know this has been a project for decades. In fact, Lance himself gave us the last piece we needed. Having come across a perfectly preserved Kabuto shell, & a mosquito trapped in Amber while he was training one day.”
“Both of which had a complete DNA strand for Kabuto & Aerodactyl respectively. With it, we were able to recreate the genome well enough to produce a living Pokémon. There were two important things discovered about this process though.”
“First, both resurrected Pokémon seemed to possess Rock-typing. Which was unexpected given it was their Primary-typing. The second thing was that these Pokémon are unable to reproduce, we tried several times, but an Egg would never fertilize.”
“Not to mention that the Pokémon resurrected seemed to be extremely hostile, and hard to control. Lance mentioned that Aerodactyl was worse than a Tyranitar & Salamence combined, so he put very stringent rules on resurrecting Pokémon.”
The trio nodded, mesmerized by the story. And while Ash knew he most likely wouldn’t ever be able to resurrect a Pokémon of his own, he had to ask.
“So what are the rules then on resurrecting Pokémon?”
The staff member smiled slightly in pity.
“Well, you must have made it to the final match in any conference or be an Elite Four member/trainee. It also goes without saying, but any champion is also able to resurrect a Fossil. That’s not including the cost the lab will charge, I believe Lance paid nearly $3 million for his Aerodactyl.”
“Although,” they added. “Lance did leave a clause in this rule that would allow for certain trainers to be approved on a case-by-case basis. That is how Roark in Sinnoh has his Cranidos.”
Ash sighed as the staff member finished his explanation. Owning a fossil Pokémon went out the window for now, although it was to be expected. He resigned himself to the fact that if he wanted a Fossil Pokémon, then he would have to make it to the finals in the conference.
Which was a long shot, but he was confident in himself that he could do it. No matter what though, he would work hard and prove that he could handle one, of that he was certain. After thanking the staff member and touching the Kabuto one last time, the trio made their way through the rest of the fossil exhibit.
Ash appreciated that they had a complete skeleton of every Fossil Pokémon so far discovered and that they were grouped by region. The Hoenn fossils were for an Armaldo and Cradily, and like the Kanto section, the museum had a couple of Relicanth swimming in an aquarium.
According to the staff member, Relicanth are considered living fossils and are believed to have been alive at the same time as the other Fossil Pokémon. The most interesting thing that he learned there though, was that Relicanth never went extinct. It was crazy for him to think that he could possibly find a Pokémon that had been around before humans.
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The Sinnoh fossil Pokémon were Rampardos & Bastiodon and seemed to be pretty dominant during their time. Considering there were more Sinnoh fossils of those two Pokémon than in any other section.
After asking a staff member, it turns out that the common theory in the scientific community is that a meteor struck the Sinnoh Region in 6,000 B.C. which wiped out the Cranidos & Shieldon line. Without that event, the community was in agreement that those Pokémon would still be alive today.
Moving to the Unova section, Ash noticed a much smaller bird fossil which he learned to be an Archeops, and something that reminded him of a Kabuto but bigger. Which turned out to be a Carracosta.
The two Pokémon were considered to be polar opposites, the Archeops being known for incredible speed and aggression, while the Carracosta was slow and passive. Ash thought it was ironic that they likely never encountered each other while alive, but now they were all that remained of their region from that time.
The last section was the one he looked forward to the most, as it was on the two recently discovered Pokémon in the Kalos region, Tyrantrum, and Aurorus. Tyrantrum was a massive Pokémon and seemed to be the apex predator of its time. Meanwhile, Aurous seemed to be the sleeping giant.
According to the Kalos staff member, Aurous was believed to create the aurora borealis which can be seen in the northern hemisphere today, due to a Tyrantrum massacring all but one of the Aurous herd. In its sorrow of being the last surviving member of its pack, the Aurous let loose such a powerful wale that the other members of its species heard it, and they too mourned the fallen.
It became so powerful, that the aurora borealis was created and the remaining Aurous of the slaughtered herd, having used all of its power, became a part of it. Keeping the aurora borealis alive today. Ash was dumbstruck, at the power the two Fossil Pokémon exhibited.
The fact that a Tyrtantrum was able to slay so many of a Pokémon that could create something that could last for an eternity. Those two Pokémon showed a power that was pseudo-legendary in his eyes, and it made him wonder how they went extinct in the first place.
Raising his question to the staff member he was met with a sympathetic look.
“Well,” the staff member started. “These fossils were only discovered a year ago, and the community is still trying to answer that very question. I am sure they are close to an answer though!”
Thanking the man for his time, and taking in all the new information, the group made their way to the Human History Exhibit. Which Ash found interesting as well, not as much as the fossils, but his Pokémon seemed to enjoy it.
The group stopped at the first section, which went over the guardians, also known as the first Pokémon trainers. Seeing Artemis & Imperial’s interest, Ash began to read the guides out loud.
“Guardians are considered the first Pokémon trainers. They usually only had one Pokémon, as Pokéballs did not exist, and they built an extreme and loyal bond with that Pokémon. They were considered Protectors, and Leaders, and were mostly feared for their power until the First War.”
“There were three distinct types of guardians, Guardians, Draconic Guardians, and Aura Guardians. Aura Guardians were mostly found in the Hisui Region, now known as Sinnoh. Their partner Pokémon almost always consisted of a Lucario due to its innate connection with Aura, and those Guardians typically protected royalty.”
“Draconic Guardians simply had a partner Pokémon that would be, what is known today, as a Dragon-type. These Guardians were typically recluses, as they were greatly feared due to the fact their partner Pokémon could destroy entire towns without strain.”
“Because of this, few Draconic Guardians were leaders. However, the few that were, built thriving cities and towns which were protected by their might. An example of one such city is Blackthorn in Johto. Oddly enough, few Guardians became tyrants, and even fewer Aura Guardians. Not a single Draconic Guardian became a tyrant in recorded history.”
“It is something that is still highly debated by academia. The two prominent theories say that either Dragon-type Pokémon were such great judges of character that whomever they gave their loyalty to would never turn evil.”
“Or, the ones who became tyrants left no survivors before retreating into seclusion. Either way, it is agreed that Draconic Guardians were considered the upper echelon of guardians in raw power.”
“Regular Guardians were simply people who controlled any Pokémon, so long as they weren’t a Dragon-type and didn’t use Aura in any capacity. They made up a majority of the group and at the start of the First War, were used as foot soldiers.”
Ash looked at his Pokémon, who were staring at a statue that represented each of the three types of guardians in wonder. There was a man with a Salamence, a woman with a Lucario, and another man with a Pikachu on his shoulder.
Smiling, he spoke to his team.
“Ya know, they will make statues of us one day.”
Artemis smiled at that, and Ash wasn’t sure if Imperial could smile, he did however warble his approval. Looking up and seeing that Amelia & Dakota had moved on as he had his moment with his team, he raced to catch up.
Going through the rest of the exhibit was interesting, but nothing memorable. There was a section dedicated to the First War that was started because the city of Silph didn’t give out the first known version of a Pokéball.
While it was taught in Trainer School, Ash didn’t realize the scale and the destruction of the war. He was glad the section had an interactive map that showed a before and after of some of the major battles and was once again reminded of the power of Pokémon.
He paused on one section of the map that showed the Lake of Rage in Johto was a by-product of one of the influential battles. Where a Guardian and his Lapras sacrificed themselves to buy time for their allies to escape.
The group continued through the exhibit, which ended at the most recent war twenty-five years ago, and enacted the rules the Pokémon League implements today.
Moving on to the Pokémon League Exhibit, Ash wasn’t really impressed. Some of the information was copied over from the Human History Exhibit, and the rest was a lot of bureaucratic information about how the League operates.
The only really interesting thing to him in the League Exhibit was a section dedicated to the League's conquest in other regions and the champions/leaders of each region since the League got control. A few names in certain regions stood out to him from his history lessons, but it was interesting to see a statue of the first leader in every region and the cornerstone of their team.
In Kanto, the birth of the Pokémon League, Asahi Kojima also known as ‘The First’ was memorialized in stone. He was the first leader of the Pokémon League and ushered in an era of peace and technological advancement not seen since.
The cornerstone of his team was his Arcanine, which was so fast it was rumored to be able to run across water, with fire so hot that it could evaporate a lake.
Johto’s first champion, Hiroto Kojima, was half-brothers with Asahi and was a member of the Blackthorn clan, unlike his brother. His cornerstone was a Dragonite, but Hiroto also had a Tyranitar on his side making him the only statue to have two Pokémon.
Ash had no idea how the man gained the respect & trust of such powerful creatures, but it made him want to look deeper into the first Kanto-Johto war. He was interested to see how Asahi defeated his half-brother, as Hiroto had an incredibly strong team in comparison.
While he knew the bare minimum from his history lessons, most people in both regions considered it a stain on the great relationship the two had today and chose to forget about it.
Hoenn’s first champion was actually a female, Yui Okari, she and her cornerstone Sceptile were renowned for their trust and partnership with each other. Her Sceptile was even rumored to shift and change in key battles, taking on, and even winning against Dragons.
Hisui/Sinnoh’s first champion, Genji Harimoto, controlled a Lucario that was believed to have the ability to see a short way into the future, using it to be a step ahead of its opponent at every turn. Genji was even rumored to have been the one who united the Diamond & Pearl clans together, which led to the name change from Hisui to Sinnoh.
Unova’s first champion was Alan Juniper, who had a black and red Haxorus. At the time it was considered to be a bad omen. A Pokémon that was so different was usually considered to be weaker and brought bad luck with it.
However, that’s no longer the case, and shiny Pokémon are highly sought after. It’s rumored that Alan’s Haxorus roams on a secluded island that only Prof. Juniper knows. Realizing that they had reached the end of the champions, and they hadn’t seen one for Kalos or Galar, Ash hunted down a staff member and asked where their region champion statues were at.
“Because the Kalos and Galar region joined the League at the end of the Last War, their champions are still living, thus a statue of remembrance has not yet been commissioned. Does that answer your question, sir?”
Ash nodded his head. “It does, thank you for your help.”
Making a note to look up the current region's champions, the group made their way to the exhibit Ash had been waiting for. And honestly, it probably became his favorite of the day. Mostly due to the fact they had the legendary Shamouti Island orbs, no doubt on loan, in the exhibit.
Ash took a moment to admire each orb, which represented the three Legendary birds. Articuno the ice bird, which is said to live in snowy mountains riddled with permafrost. Zapdos the storm bird, that nests in pitch-black thunderclouds. Finally, Moltres the fire bird, said to live only in the hottest volcanos.
With a glance, Ash noticed that his team stared at the orbs in reverence, deciding to read out the descriptions for Artemis and Imperial to hear.
“The Fire orb burns with a fire that will never extinguish. It is said that in the darkest moments, a fire that could not burn would be brought forth from the orb and awake Moltres from its slumber. Calling it to Fire Island.”
“The Ice orb contains a blizzard that will never stop. Rumored to be so powerful that it could freeze the ocean, creating a bridge between the Sevii Islands and Kanto. The orb would awaken Articuno and call it to Ice Island.”
“The Lightning orb with a never-ending storm inside. So powerful that it could create a storm that would raze the Sevii islands to the ground, leaving nothing but the smell of ozone in its wake. The orb would awaken Zapdos and bring the bird to Lightning Island.”
Ash was startled as one of the staff members spoke up once he was done reading the descriptions to his Pokémon.
“Are you all familiar with the Kanto Legends?”
The man smiled as the group nodded their heads after the initial scare. Having not heard the expert as he got behind them.
“Good, then I'll teach you something new today.”
At their confused looks the guy continued.
“While I am sure you know of the birds, are you aware of how the orbs got their power? Or how they play an important part in stopping the end of the world?”
With a shake of their heads, the man went into detail.
“While Moltres and Articuno consistently fight for dominance, causing our seasons to change, Zapdos is their keeper. The most powerful of the three birds keeps the other two in line and their power in check.”
“While Zapdos can take on both Articuno & Moltres, so long as it catches the two while they are fighting each other. It recognized that should the two work together, it would lose, and the world would either burn or freeze depending on the victor. So Zapdos created a fail-safe with Lugia.”
“It is said that Lugia, with the help of Zapdos, convinced the bird trio to put an essence of themselves in those orbs. Zapdos being the first as a sign of trust to its brethren. Should these three orbs, and the Song of the Sea, ever be played at the Shrine of the Chosen. Then Lugia will appear and quell the fight of nature.”
Ash took note of his friends and his Pokémon, noticing that they were all entranced with the story. One thing stuck out to him though and he couldn’t help but ask the man his question since he seemed so knowledgeable.
“Sir, if the birds are so powerful, why does the song need to be played at a certain spot with all the orbs? If the three birds fighting would raze the world, wouldn’t Lugia sense it, or at least feel it?”
The man smiled at this; he remembered asking the very same question as he spoke to the Shamouti elder. Bringing himself out of his memories he answered the boy's question the same way the Slowking had.
“I see your question and will raise you another. If Lugia is powerful enough to stop the forces of nature and recognizes that that power could destroy the world by accident. Do you think it would roam these lands?”
Ash pondered the question a moment before realizing its logic, and then realizing what it truly meant, silently praised Lugia’s genius. The Pokémon probably had only slightly more power than the three birds. Realizing the danger of the three getting into a fight, or worse working together against it.
The bird's keeper worked with Zapdos as it realized it was the most interested in peace of the three, convincing them to put some of their power into their respective orbs. Not only did it increase the gap, but he was willing to bet Lugia had a way to draw that power into itself from the orbs.
It was ingenious really, if not slightly terrifying. If a Pokémon was smart enough to plan that well ahead for centuries, it meant that it truly believed it was a matter of when, not if, the three birds would lose themselves in a fight.
Taking in this new information Ash and his friends thanked the Kanto expert before moving on through the rest of the exhibit. He was slightly disappointed that the only thing on Mew was a small stone tablet that had a drawing of the Pokémon and some text, naming it the Guardian of Life.
But he was familiar enough with the legend to know that Mew was incredibly elusive, and after talking with the staff member. They learned that the tablet was the inspiration for every depiction of the mythical Pokémon, which mollified him some.
It wasn’t long until the group found themselves learning about the Johto Legends and the Legendary Beasts. Now because Johto and Kanto were so close, the trio already knew a lot about Ecruteak City, and that Ho-oh and Lugia used to roost atop their respectful towers.
What they didn’t know however was that the Legendary Beasts were created from Ho-Oh’s sorrow of the Brass Tower burning. As the Johto expert talked, they learned about how a storm from Lugia’s rage enveloped the city and a lightning bolt struck the Brass Tower. The reason was kept a secret, only to Ecruteak’s Kimono Girls and City Leaders.
The bolt ignited a fire so strong that even the torrential downpour from the storm could not put out the flames. Ho-oh in its sorrow for the burning of its once home, transformed three Pokémon to represent the storm's significance.
Raikou was the bolt that struck the Tower, the Beast was powerful and wild like the lightning bolt it symbolized. Entei was the fire that enveloped the tower, strong and unyielding. Then there was Suicune, the northern wind that finally put out the fire, soothing and peaceful.
By the time the Johto Expert finished the history, a fifteen-minute warning went through the museum that they were closing. So, after thanking the woman for her time the trio made their way to the gift shop.
Ash perused through all the knick-knacks that represented a visit to the museum; like a copper Pokécoin, postcards, and t-shirts. Along with the items that made little kids want to come to the museum, like figurines of the Fossil Pokémon or of the Legendary Pokémon.
He even passed by authenticate fossils for sale, with a disclaimer that the price to revive was not included. He bit back a curse, his hope that the majority of the cost for a fossil Pokémon was in its resurrection was wrong, as Amaura fossils were almost at the seven-figure mark.
After moving past the fossils, he found what he was looking for. After seeing Artemis and Imperial’s interest in the guardians of old, Ash wanted to buy a book on them to read to his friends at night.
Finding a book titled ‘Guardians and their achievements’ that he grabbed, and upon seeing a buy two get one free deal, he looked to grab two more books. Eventually deciding on ‘Pokémon Nutrition: The Basics’ & ‘Pokémon Nutrition: Advanced’. That way he could learn how to make a nutrition plan for any new teammates, and not rely on the one the Williams.
He then made his way towards the checkout, stopping himself as he spotted a keychain of Mew. Deciding he wanted something to remember this trip by other than books, he added it to his collection.
After paying the $38 for the items and leaving a $10 tip as thanks to the experts, Ash made his way to his friends outside. After putting his new books in his bag and the keychain in his pocket, he noticed his Pokémon’s eyes drooping from the long day, so he returned them as the trio made their way to the Pokémon Center.
Eventually, it was Amelia who spoke up.
“Do you guys think the tragedy of Ecruteaks towers is what drove Lugia to the depths of the ocean?”
Ash pondered the question for a moment before responding.
“I don’t think so, the prophecy of Shamouti is centuries old. The way it was described, to me at least, it sounded like the storm was intentional. Plus, from the way it sounded, that storm was something that Zapdos could do easily.”
The two thought it over before Dakota spoke up.
“If it was intentional, why? Do you think it was humans or Lugia & Ho-Oh fighting?”
Ash pondered this too for a moment before answering.
“I think it was humans. If it was just the two fighting, I think it would’ve been more widespread than just one city, plus the Legendary Beasts sound to me like they are reminders, not a memorial.”
The group pondered that thought for a while before Dakota brought up his question.
“So, if it was a reminder, what happened that caused the legendaries to turn on their home?”
Amelia responded before Ash could. “For starters, I don’t think Ecruteak was their home. Lugia's guardian of the sea and Ho-Oh the sky, those are their respective homes. I think Ecruteak was maybe their vacation?”
Amelia wasn’t as sure about Ecruteak being the Guardian’s vacation, but Ash agreed with her, it made sense. The group talked a little longer about their favorite exhibit and how happy they were to have taken the time to visit the museum.
By the time they made it back to the Pokémon Center, it was late, and after a quick dinner. Everyone bid each other goodnight and retired to their rooms. All of them were excited to continue their journey and get back on the road in the morning.
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Mt. Moon was an imposing sight; Eevee was curled around Ash’s shoulder and Trapinch was playing in the dirt to his right. Amelia and her Bulbasaur were to his right as well, and her Pidgy was perched on her shoulder. Meanwhile, Dakota and his Charmander were to his left and Mankey was jumping around in excitement in front of them.
Both Ash and Dakota were excited to see the Sensational Sisters in Cerulean, and Amelia had gotten so fed up with their worship that whenever the two started talking about it while she was present. Bulbasaur would hit them with a very weak Vine Whip.
“What are you guys waiting for? Let’s go!”
Dakota’s enthusiasm broke them out of their grandeur at the massive mountain, and after taking it in one last time, Ash and Amelia followed Dakota and his Mankey, as the duo bounded ahead. The path from Pewter to Mt. Moon was rugged, but considering that Mt. Moon basically divided Kanto into two, it was expected.
Someone had to have a Flying-type Pokémon, or the ability to teleport to reach the other side of Kanto. Otherwise, going through Mt. Moon was the safest and fastest route to the rest of the region. One could surf around coming up through Pallet Town, but it was a long journey and could be dangerous depending on the season.
That was because the Spring/Summer seasons saw Gyarados closer to the surface of the ocean, and the sea monsters wouldn’t hesitate to attack a lone trainer and their Pokémon. Only ships stood a chance, and even they had a handful of dedicated trainers on their voyages during those seasons. Thus is the power of Gyarados.
Going up and around Mt. Moon was also arduous and deadly. Many strong Pokémon lived on and around the mountain like Skarmory, Rhyperior, and a few Aggron. Of the few trainers that attempted this, even fewer made it to the other side.
Mt. Moon was interesting though, and Ash wasn’t sure how to feel that they would be spending at least a couple days beneath tons of rock. While the main path of Mt. Moon was lit due to it being such an important route. It was still easy to get lost and the idea of sleeping in a mountain, light or no light, was unnerving.
Ash still preferred the light though, as he was confident no light would leave him paranoid and claustrophobic. Besides, Mt. Moon was still an exciting place considering its supposed mythical history.
The story goes that Clefable weren’t originally from Earth, and instead crashed into the mountain in their spaceship from the Moon. That was why they had such mythical powers that researchers couldn’t quite understand.
The Clefairy line was unlike any other Pokémon in their classification. That wouldn’t be too much of an issue but when it came to the other types, they all usually shared some sort of attribute that tied them to their specialty.
Clefairy were entirely unique and that had interested countless researchers spawning several theories, one of which being the Spaceship. Ash found it hard to believe, but the reverence that the Pokémon that inhabited Mt. Moon, and those that lived around it, had for the mountain was something unique.
The Nidoran line for example, along with the Clefairy line, had developed a suppressed gene. They wouldn’t be able to evolve into their final forms without interacting with a shard, or piece, of what is called a Moon Stone. Its name comes from it only being found in or around Mt. Moon, usually in small jagged slivers.
It was supposedly a piece of the first Clefable’s ship. They were extremely rare, and Ash doubted they would find one staying on the normal League-designated path. A low growl broke him out of his musing and heard Amelia gush over the Pokémon that made the sound.
Turning his head, he was shocked to see a small purple Nidoran, the purple signifying it as male. His shock came from the fact that it was alone, as they normally traveled in a herd, but he supposed the allure of Mt. Moon was enough to draw the brave few away from their herd’s protection.
It growled at Amelia and Ash couldn’t help but laugh as she smiled at the Pokémon.
“I am so going to catch you!”
She then released her Bulbasaur which was returned so they could catch up to Dakota.
“Ivy, Vine Whip, grab it and hit it with Sleep Powder.”
Nidoran was fast, Ash had to give it to him, but Bulbasur’s vines were faster. Nidoran wasn’t just going to take it though, and managed to wiggle out of the vines before it could inhale a lot of the Sleep Powder. Hitting Bulbasaur with a brutal Double Kick as it fell.
Bulbasaur cried out in pain before Tackling the Nidoran, and then hitting it with an actual Vine-Whip at Amelia’s command. The hard hits plus the inhaled Sleep Powder did its job, and the poor Nidoran slumped over asleep.
Amelia grinned before throwing her Pokéball, hitting Nidoran and sucking it inside with a flash of Scarlet. The Pokéball began to rock back and forth violently, as Nidoran’s consciousness tried to fight being captured for several seconds with the last vestige of its energy.
It was no use though, as the Pokéball had a resounding ‘click’ causing Amelia to jump with joy. She wasn’t able to relish for long though, as Bulbasaur waddled a bit closer to Amelia before collapsing as well.
Ash thought it was odd but then remembered Nidoran were extremely poisonous, and they had a multitude of barbs all across its body.
“Amelia, the Tackle must’ve poisoned Bulbasaur. We should get to the Pokémon Center, there is one at the Entrance of Mt. Moon!”
Amelia nodded, returning her Bulbasaur and putting it in stasis. They then jogged the rest of the way to the Pokémon Center. Ash believed Bulbasaur wasn’t in any real harm, as it had a natural sort of immunity to poison due to the poison in its bulb.
That didn’t mean the green reptile deserved to be in pain while Nidoran’s poison worked its way through its system, not to mention Nidoran himself would need to be looked at. Thankfully no trainers stopped them to ask for a battle.
While normally Ash would’ve sought out some battles of the trainers they passed, he didn’t want to leave Amelia alone while she was so concerned with her starter’s safety. He could just come back later once her worries were assuaged.
The duo managed to make it to the Pokémon Center, relieved to see Dakota already there waiting for them. He opened his mouth to no doubt ask what took them so long but shut it just as quickly at Amelia's tears of concern.
Ushering her inside and to Nurse Joy so she could take care of Bulbasaur, Ash went back outside to explain what happened to Dakota. The Pokémon Center outside Mt. Moon wasn’t a full-fledged Center, and only really had the bare essentials.
It was meant to help trainers and their Pokémon primarily with poison-related injuries, due to the Zubat and Nidoran that were around the cave. Anything else, and its goal was to stabilize the person or Pokémon long enough to get them Pewter.
This ultimately meant that there weren't any waiting rooms for trainers inside the Center, and if someone wanted lodging, they would have to pay for a room at the cabin hotel in front of the Center. Once he caught Dakota up, Amelia walked outside with a much more calm look on her face.
“Nurse Joy said Bulbasaur would be fine, and so would Nidoran. She said it would be about an hour, but after that, they would be good as new. The poison in her Bulb meant that most Pokémon’s poison didn’t really affect her, but Nidoran’s poison was different.”
“She said that the only two Pokémon that really affected Ivy were Nidoran, and Ekans as they both used a neurotoxin-like poison. But she said that unless it was in a high dose, there was nothing to worry about.”
Ash smiled at that, and with them now having an hour to kill, Ash began to prepare to make his way back down the path they came. That way he could battle the trainers they passed and hopefully get more money for his Silph Co. bag.
He thought about maybe even catching a Nidoran himself but dismissed that thought as soon as it came. He didn’t want to make Amelia feel like he was stealing her spotlight, especially by catching the same type of Pokémon.
But before he could go challenge the trainers, he had to convince Dakota that the $500 Magikarp that the man outside was selling, was not a good deal.
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Ash wouldn't classify himself as claustrophobic, but after spending so much time out in the world, it was hard to adjust to walking underneath a mountain. After Trapinch handily swept two trainers and their Pokémon outside the mountain entrance, Ash met back up with Dakota and Amelia at the Pokémon Center.
Her Pokémon were all healed up and good as new, and she had made friends with Nidoran who was now walking side by side with Bulbasaur as they made their way through Mt. Moon.
Trapinch was waddling behind Ash, snapping at any Zubat that got near, and Eevee was on his shoulder. Dakota and Charmander were also walking out together, with Charmander’s tail providing light where the main path’s lamps didn’t.
They had been traveling for a while, not passing many trainers which was kind of odd considering that this was a major path and the most popular way to get to Pewter and Vermillion.
None of them really cared though, content to just talk about everything and nothing as they continued their trek. Passing by a few Geodude and a handful of Zubat but nothing else of any real interest, and none of them were interested in adding a Zubat or Geodude to their team.
Dakota was hoping to see a Rhyhorn to catch, but there was nothing Ash or Amelia wanted to add to their roster from inside Mt. Moon. Amelia had caught her Nidoran, and the only Pokémon Ash was slightly interested in finding underneath the mountain was an Onix.
However, it just wasn’t something he felt he had the strength to train yet. Onix were giants and they were hard to care for on the road, as the only places that typically had enough food for one, were mountains like this one.
Not to mention that it was usually only gyms that had battlefields with the capability to withstand an Onix. No, Ash couldn’t afford to take care of an Onix, not yet at least.
A loud thump broke the rookie trainer out of his thoughts and Dakota and Amelia out of their conversation.
“What was that?” Amelia wondered out loud.
Ash and Dakota shrugged their shoulders, but before either of them could respond, another loud thump occurred. Ash had a couple theories and none of them were good. Thankfully, they all seemed to come to the same conclusion, and that was to get away from whatever was making the noise.
Once Ash returned Trapinch and Amelia her team, leaving only Charmander and Eevee out of their Pokéballs, the group broke into a jog. Charmander for extra light, and Eevee because she was on Ash’s shoulder, but also because she could easily keep up.
As they made their jog away from the thumping and shaking, they started bouncing off theories of what could’ve been causing the ruckus.
“Probably an Onix? They live in these caves, right?” Amelia wondered hopefully and Ash shook his head.
“No, an Onix wouldn’t have been making that noise. They might have made the ground/mountain shake as they burrowed their way through, but that constant thump couldn’t have been one.”
“What about a couple of Rhyhorn battling for dominance?” Ash shook his head at that one as well.
“Maybe, but I feel like we would have heard their roars as well if that was the case. I think it was some kind of machine, no Pokémon doing their usual routine would have scared the other Pokémon away. We haven’t even seen a Zubat since that thumping started.”
Realization dawned on his friend’s faces, and they continued their pace until the thumping and shaking stopped. Deciding it was as good a place as any, the trio sat down and took a break, releasing their teams to eat lunch.
They had only been in Mt. Moon for a couple hours at this point, and according to Nurse Joy and some hikers, they could be in and out of Mt. Moon in twenty-four hours. So long as they stayed on the main path, which was welcome information as Ash had thought they would spend at least two days under the mountain.
Something he and his friends were striving for until a soft buzzing sound started making its way to them. Eevee and Nidoran quickly covered their sensitive ears, and their trainers were fast to return them, seeing their discomfort.
Slowly the buzz turned into a low ringing giving everyone a headache and making the trio return all their Pokémon to save them from the sound. Deciding to break off into a jog again in order to get away from the ringing. None of them had planned for Mt. Moon to be this hellish.
Luck just wasn’t on their side though as right as they were coming to a fork. A group of people appeared from a side tunnel that went deeper into Mt. Moon. They had blocked the League-designated path, and Ash wondered why.
He had his answer soon though as the group stepped out of the shadows and he saw the emblazoned R on the front of their shirts. One of the Rockets grinned as they approached.
“Well look what we have here, a couple of trainers. Say, I think their Pokémon would make a great addition to Team Rocket, what do you guys think?”
The rest of the Rockets nodded a long and Ash cursed their luck, but before he or his friends could release their Pokémon, the Rocket was faster. Releasing a Wheezing that appeared in front of them.
“Now you three be good, and don’t release any of your Pokémon, or else Wheezing here will kill you with its poisonous gas before you could utter a command. Come along now.”
Ash was grinding his teeth and no doubt Dakota and Amelia were doing the same as they were utterly helpless at the moment. The Wheezing floated a few feet in front of them, releasing enough of its toxic chemicals to make them uncomfortable but not enough to do damage.
The lead Rocket, who was at least in his late twenties, walked ahead of the Wheezing while two Rockets walked behind them. Ash went to release Imperial, but one of the Rockets behind him noticed and called it out.
The next thing Ash saw was stars, as the lead Rocket had turned around and punched him hard. Ash spit out some blood and glared hatefully at the man who was staring down at him.
“Now what did I say? R, grab their Pokémon and hold onto them till we get to the Boss. I don’t want any surprises.”
He and his friends tried to struggle as the blonde-haired Rocket reached for their Pokéballs but another punch from the lead Rocket, and Wheezing’s presence, forced them to stop struggling.
Ash made sure to keep an eye on the kid who had his team though, he’d die before he let someone take them away from him. Especially after Officer Jenny told him what Team Rocket did to Pokémon to get them to obey.
It wasn’t long until they reached a giant cavern filled with cages and machinery. The cages themselves housed several Geodude and Zubat, with a few Graveler, and the odd Rhyhorn. A man in a dark black suit with a deep red tie, and an R emblazoned on the suit pocket, walked up to them.
“Good work Z. Restrain them, then go back with the others. I'll handle these pests.”
The lead Rocket nodded, and Ash was about to leap after them, but the blonde-haired Rocket set their Pokémon down along with their bags. Ash was glad they hadn’t gone through it, as so far, they had no idea about his Egg.
He tried to punch the Lead Rocket as he tied his hands, but the man hit him upside the head causing the world to spin for Ash. The man in the suit looked over to where their stuff lay and grinned maniacally.
“Team Rocket thanks you for the donation.”
Ash grit his teeth even harder as the madman went over to their things, picking up their Pokéballs and running a scan to see what was inside, before putting them in a basket. Amelia had tears starting to come out of her eyes and Dakota just looked defeated, but Ash could feel the malice and defiance in his friend at their current situation.
“Don’t worry, you don't have to say goodbye to your team just yet. We allow all our new recruits to keep one Pokémon of their original party. After they have proven themselves of course, and in the meantime, we make their Pokémon so much... Stronger.”
Ash glared at the man as he just kept his maniacal grin as he finished categorizing their Pokéballs and putting them in a basket. Then Dakota said something that made Ash want to slap him upside the head but thank him at the same time.
“You won’t get away with this you freak! Ash stopped you in Viridian, and we will stop you now!”
The man stopped halfway to the ball transfer machine. Setting the basket to the side and turning to Dakota, fury plastered on his face.
“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?” the man basically roared at Dakota who stared up at him in defiance.
Ash suddenly saw the genius in his plan, and while the man thundered towards Dakota with nothing but fury in his eyes Ash struck. Trying to tackle the man despite his hands being bound.
He successfully managed to clip him with his shoulder, making the man stumble and giving Dakota enough time to throw his body at him as well. Dakota managed to knock the madman to the ground by landing on top of him, meanwhile, Amelia ran to where their teams were.
Ash thought they would have a fighting chance because there was no way the madman could get a sixteen-year-old boy off him in the time it took Amelia to reach their teams. However, by the time Ash had gotten himself off the ground to help Dakota, his hopes were crushed.
He felt himself wince as he heard Dakota’s gasp of pain, looking up just in time to see a flash of light as a Muk was released. The man had elbowed Dakota in the crotch causing his friend to reflexively curl and spew his lunch all over the madman.
Which ended up giving the man in the suit enough time to release a Pokémon before Amelia could reach their teams.
“ENOUGH!” The man shouted.
If he was angry before, he was downright murderous now. The man took one look at the vomit on himself before kicking Dakota’s curled-up form in the face. Ash flinched at the sickening crunch of his friend’s nose breaking and blood spewing out of it.
The Rocket wiped some of the vomit off his suit and onto Dakota’s sobbing form while Ash just kept glaring at the man, as he dragged Amelia back over to them. The Muk he released had blocked her path to their Pokémon and simultaneously stopped him from doing anything more.
The man sneered at the trio as they huddled around Dakota, trying to clean some of the vomit and blood off him. It was a nigh impossible task with their hands tied though.
“Ya know, I take back my offer. Team Rocket has no place for scum like you. Muk, kill them.”
Ash looked up to the man in shock and so did Amelia, but before they could react, Muk had slithered over top of them, consuming them. The rookie trainer felt bile rise in his throat at the stench but didn’t dare open his mouth. He felt the gelatinous poison surround him and absorb into his skin, making him feel even more sick.
Finally, against his will, and his body’s desire for Oxygen, he inhaled the gelatinous poison which immediately filled his airway. Ash tried to expel it from his mouth to no avail but only ended up inhaling more. Slowly, the world began to go dark as the potent poison took its effect.
It wasn’t long until Ash felt himself drift into unconsciousness. The last thoughts on his mind were that of fear, and helplessness as he wasn’t able to protect the ones he cared about.