Ash awoke with a cough, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth as he slowly opened his eyes. Seeing nothing but bright lights and rock.
‘Where was he?’ He thought to himself.
Last he remembered; he was going into Mt. Moon with his friends on their way to Cerulean City. Then, it all came rushing back; the thumping, the Rockets, the Muk.
Ash shuttered before trying to sit up. He wasn’t dead, which either meant the Rocket had a change of heart or they were saved. Ash seriously doubted the former, and while he assumed he was safe. He wanted, no needed, to make sure his friends, teammates, and egg were safe.
A strong hand tried to force him to lay back down into the bed but Ash fought it until a man with silver eyes entered his vision.
“Don’t worry son, it’ll be alright. Just relax, everyone is fine. Nurse Joy is treating one of your friends now.”
Ash tried to say something but found his throat was rough and dry. Another cough wracked his body, but this time Ash saw blood speckling the back of his hand. Fighting his whole being, Ash managed to whisper ‘team.’ before he was wracked by another coughing fit.
The silver man nodded his head realizing what Ash was getting at.
“All the Pokémon and the egg we recovered are fine. I stepped in before they could get transferred away. Relax now, you still have a lot of toxins in your body. All will be answered soon.”
The man’s hand once again guided Ash to lie back down in his bed. Realizing how exhausted he truly was now that he knew his Pokémon and his friends were safe.
When Ash awoke next, it wasn’t nearly as painful to breathe, and he couldn’t taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. At his cough, a man with blue hair and a dark gray suit with purple and silver highlights turned to face him.
Meeting his eyes, Ash realized it was the man from when he awoke earlier. He looked over to his left and was glad to see two Pokéballs beside him, his incubator outside of his bag now, and his bag which seemed to still have everything inside.
The man walked over from his conversation with Nurse Joy and smiled at Ash, to which the rookie trainer hesitantly returned. He had no idea who the man was but he looked slightly familiar and had clearly played a part in saving him and his friends' lives. The least he could do was return a smile.
“Ash, you're awake, I’m glad. Your friend Amelia was the first to wake up a couple hours ago and helped us sort out whose Pokémon was who’s and recapped the events for us.”
Ash nodded his head and sighed in relief as he released Artemis who immediately curled up around her trainer protectively, understanding that Ash was seriously hurt.
“I would still like your version of events when you're ready of course. In the meantime though, Nurse Joy told me that your friend Dakota should wake up in a couple of hours, then you can all be on your way.”
Ash nodded and began telling the man his story of events and what happened. Their mysterious savior nodded along as he spoke, taking the occasional note. Once Ash was finished, he began questioning the man himself.
“What’s your name? You look really familiar, but I don’t know where I know you from. Are you one of Brock’s gym trainers?”
The man smiled as though Ash said a funny joke.
“You can call me Steven, and no. I am not a gym trainer.”
Ash nodded his head in understanding, scratching Artemis as he thought of his next set of questions for the newly dubbed Steven. His Eevee purred in contentment at his musings, causing Ash to smile slightly.
“Who was that man, the Rocket with the suit? I fought them before, back in Viridian, and none of those guys had suits.”
Steven seemed shocked that Ash had fought them before, but his shock slowly turned to a grimace, answering the question nonetheless.
“That man was an Executive, Executive Pierce to be exact. The League has been hunting him for a long time. I was in Mt. Moon, looking for a piece of the fabled relic, when I noticed the mountain shaking and the local Pokémon acting strange.”
“I found you three getting eaten by the Muk, and I’m not a fan of murder if you can believe it, so I jumped in. You said you fought these people in the past?”
Ash nodded, explaining how he, Andrew, and Andrew’s dad Robert stopped them from stealing the breeder's Pokémon, and that’s how he ended up with his Trapinch. Steven, Ash realized, was a good listener. Always staying engaged with his story.
When he finished Steven stood up. “That is quite interesting, Ash. I hope you can show me your Trapinch later. I know a thing or two about native Hoenn Pokémon, I started my own journey there after all.”
Ash nodded in excitement. While he learned a lot from Andrew’s family, anything a Hoenn native could say would no doubt be beneficial. As Steven walked away Ash leaned back into his bed, while Artemis moved to his chest, purring to put Ash at ease as she stood guard.
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Once Ash finished securing his pack, Dakota and Amelia made their way over to him. Amelia seemed okay, but Dakota seemed off, which was to be expected. He was hurt worse than any of them, evident by the bandages around his nose.
Deciding to bring it up with Dakota another time, the three made their way towards the exit of the makeshift infirmary and far far away from Mt. Moon. Eager to put their near-death experience behind them.
As they made their way to the exit, they noticed Steven leaning against a pillar, and once the man noticed the trio. He greeted them with a smile.
“I’m glad I caught you guys; the League has everything under control here. Do you care if I tag along till Cerulean?”
After gauging his friends to make sure they were okay with it, Ash nodded his head. Steven was obviously a strong trainer, and after their experience, it would be a welcome comfort for him to tag along.
Steven smiled at them. “Well let’s get going then.”
It wasn’t until they were an hour outside of Mt. Moon that Ash took some time to really study their new traveling partner. Steven was tall, about 6’2, and had an overall air of confidence about him. Which probably had to do with the Metagross the man rode on as they continued their trek to Cerulean.
He wore a black suit with purple highlights that never seemed to get scrunched up or ruffled. It had a bright red puff tie with a white undershirt that just seemed to make his suit stand out even more. Along with his stone silver eyes and light blue hair, Steven broke an imposing figure.
The Metagross itself was an absolutely fascinating Pokémon and the fact he had one spoke volumes. They were extremely rare and very little was known about them; with the Stone family being the most prominent name that breed the Beldum that Metagross evolves from.
It was a well-known fact that trainers who wanted a Metagross would pay a vast fortune and be forced into secrecy by any Beldum breeder. Ash found it odd, but he hoped that he would eventually be trusted with the secret every Beldum owner swore to keep.
Only the upper echelons of the Pokémon League and the most reputable Pokémon Professors were allowed to know the secrets of the Beldum line without owning one. All because of a fairly recent rule that Steven Stone, the Hoenn Champion, implemented.
Ash gasped in surprise and awe causing his traveling companions to look over to him with a questioning gaze. All the pieces fell in place for the rookie trainer at that moment, and he realized where he recognized Steven from.
Ash smiled at his companions before turning to Steven.
“You’re Steven Stone right? Winner of the Ever Grande Conference, and the Hoenn League’s Champion?”
His friend's eyes widened as well as they quickly pieced together the information they knew and came to the same conclusion. Ash couldn’t help but feel a small bit of smugness as he was the first one to figure it out.
Steven, for his part, just laughed.
“Former Champion actually, Wallace now holds the title of Hoenn League Champion.”
The trio nodded, the shock still a bit too much for them. The fact that they were traveling with a former Champion and their lives had been saved by said Champion was a lot to process.
Slowly though, the group came to terms with it and made peace with the fact that they would have very few challenges from trainers while traveling with Steven. It wasn’t long after the revelations that the questions slowly started rolling in, which Steven was happy to answer.
“So.” Amelia started. “Why are you in Kanto? And hanging around Mt. Moon of all places?”
Steven grimaced ever so slightly, but it vanished as quick as it came; leaving Ash to believe that he imagined it.
“Well Amelia, I am a bit of a collector of rare stones and love adventure. So rather than spend a fortune and risk a possible knockoff. I decided to look for the original Moon Stone, the one that brought Clefairy to us.”
They all nodded fascinated by the idea. While Ash thought it was a bit foolish, he wasn’t about to tell a former Champion that some stories were just too ridiculous to take seriously.
.
“Then I heard the thumping... And well, here we are.”
The group laughed nervously, happy to steer away from that topic. They continued with questions of wander and giddiness like they were back in training school. Learning all sorts of things about the life of a Champion, the wonders of Hoenn, some of the rarest stones, and more.
After several more hours of travel, with several questions and stories mixed in, the group decided to make camp. It became very obvious that Steven enjoyed watching the trio’s system unfold as Dakota and Charmander walked off for wood, Amelia started preparing food, and Ash started setting up the camp.
Steven shook his head like a parent who saw their child doing something silly, before going over and helping Amelia with food. Showing her some tricks that he had no doubt picked up on his travels.
It wasn’t before long that everyone was sitting around the campfire, with full stomachs and a contentedness at the perfect weather.
“So, Ash.” Steven started. “Your Trapinch, can I see it?”
Ash nodded enthusiastically, releasing his Trapinch that warbled his greeting before walking around a bit, chomping at a stray leaf. Steven just laughed, admiring the little creature.
Steven went to pet Imperial’s head, but the Ground-type snapped at his hand. Steven didn’t mind though and pushed past his bites before rubbing its head with his knuckles. Imperial ended up enjoying that a lot, lying flat on his stomach as Steven continued to rub his head.
Steven just laughed, stopping his ministrations after a moment, and turned to Ash. The Hoenn Ground-type tried nipping at Steven’s hand for more affection to no avail.
“You have quite a strong Trapinch Ash, quite smart too for its current evolution. I’m sure the Williams told you Trapinch change their mindset drastically once they evolve into Vibrava?”
Ash nodded his head. “They did, and thank you Steven. Imperial works hard, and he is on the cusp of mastering Bulldoze. I'm sure we will have it down by the time we get to Cerulean.”
Steven smiled at Ash’s enthusiasm. “Glad to hear it! Once he masters Bulldoze, you’re one step closer to Earthquake. Honestly, I think your Trapinch is close to evolving too. The orange on his shell is much more lustrous and his underside is a bit tender, which are all good signs.”
Ash looked at Imperial a little closer, as the Pokémon nipped at another stray leaf. He didn’t see it, then again, he wasn't sure what to look for, but he wouldn’t question a champion.
The group fell into a comfortable silence as they all took time to enjoy the nature around them. Ash felt like it had been an eternity since he was camping on the road with his friends. He was thumbing one of his empty Pokéballs, thinking of what he wanted for his next teammate when Steven broke the silence.
“Ya know.” Everyone’s attention was immediately on the man.
“Vibrava and Flygon are both considered Dragons and extremely hard to control. The Dragon-type Pokémon are equally prideful as they are strong, and they command respect. Normally, I wouldn’t believe any beginning trainer strong enough to earn a Dragon’s partnership.”
Ash felt crestfallen at the words Steven said. He had begun to admire the former Hoenn Champion, and it hurt that he didn’t think Ash was strong enough. That feeling soon changed at Steven’s next words.
“However, after the story of you saving the Williams family's Pokémon and the events in Mt. Moon. I would say all three of you have the strength and power necessary to command any Pokémon’s respect, and I see all three of you going far in the Indigo conference this year.”
Everyone had a smile on their face at the encouraging words from the former Champion. Soon, the weary travelers all turned to their sleeping bags while Stevens' cornerstone, his Metagross, kept watch.
The rare Pokémon never needed sleep according to Steven and would be able to handle any threat that entered their campsite. The rookie trainers believed him too, and for the first time on the road, they got to sleep without the fear of being attacked.
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The trio all stood at the ready with their teams in front of them. Ash with his Trapinch and Eevee, Dakota with his Charmander and Mankey, and Amelia with her three Pokémon; Bulbasaur, Pidgey, and Nidoran.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the clearing, Steven Stone, former champion of the Hoenn League, stood behind his Metagross. The man had a humorous smile on his face as he reminisced about his first battle with a champion-level Pokémon.
He could practically feel the eagerness and hope that the three rookie trainers in front of him had. He knew, because he had felt those same feelings when he fought his first champion-level Pokémon. He was confident they, like him at one time, truly believed that they would be able to land a hit on Metagross.
He liked their optimism, and he liked these trainers as well. That’s why when they asked him to battle, he agreed. He still remembered his laugh when they asked what order he wanted to fight them in.
Focusing back on the present, Steven took in all their Pokémon. From what he had seen so far from this group, they had a lot of potential, but they also haven’t faced an opponent that was too far out of their league, until him of course.
He however, wasn’t trying to be malicious or cause anyone harm. Others, not so much, and if the luck this group has shown so far continues. Steven was confident that they would soon.
His goal for this battle was to have a little fun, sure. But it was mainly to show these trainers what an opponent that is too strong looks like, and when to start looking for ways to escape instead of win. ‘When to run away, to fight another day’ was an important mindset to teach, and he felt this group needed this lesson.
They didn’t seem cocky to him, but they just started their journey and have been praised relentlessly for the good they’ve done, and they’ve done a lot, no doubt about it. The last thing Steven wanted though, was for them to go headfirst in a battle they would surely die in because they thought they could help.
His job today was to be the unbeatable opponent, and he was confident Metagross could do it with no problem. But, he also wanted them to think they had a slim chance of winning, and he was sure that these trainers knew they had no chance against his Metagross.
With his selection in mind, Steven took the Pokéball off his belt, enlarging it.
“Come on out Skarmory! Metagross, could you ensure any destruction doesn't get far, and that no one gets hurt?”
Trusting his friend, Steven then turned to his Skarmory who was ready and waiting for orders. Speaking loud enough for the other trainers to hear, Steven relayed his order.
“Skarmory, we aren’t maiming any Pokémon today.”
Then in a whisper that only Skarmory and Metagross would hear, he added.
“But don’t hold back, I want them to understand what being incredibly outclassed feels like. I know you can do it girl.”
Ash pondered what Steven could be saying to his Skarmory, as the man obviously whispered something while petting the massive Steel-type bird. He had been expecting Metagross, and while he and his friends knew they wouldn’t be able to knock it out, they hoped to land a hit.
That plan now changed, and while he didn’t know much about Skarmory, he knew they were strong. The goal was still to land a hit, but Ash was hoping that with everyone working together, they would be able to land a couple and maybe even win.
Stevens' voice broke Ash out of his thoughts. “I’m ready, Metagross will signal the start of the battle.”
Ash looked over to the notorious Steel-type, curious how it would do that. He didn’t have to wait but a second as Metagross shot a Flash Cannon in the air that looked more like a Hyper-Beam. Leaving Ash awestruck by the power displayed.
With the battle started Ash quickly re-focused on his friends and team of Pokémon. He heard everyone but Steven start to give out commands but to Ash’s horror, it was already too late. Skarmory was moving faster than Ash could see, faster than even the Scyther from Viridian Forest.
Quickly deciding that he wouldn’t have the time to lay out every command, he settled on trusting his team and trying to make slight adjustments.
“Artemis, Imperial! Do everything you can to try and hit Skarmory, if you can ground it, we stand a chance!”
His team, realizing what their trainer was getting at, burrowed underground. Barely avoiding the Steel Wing that hit where they just were. For a moment Ash was afraid they didn’t get deep enough as the following explosion of dirt was massive.
His worries were assuaged once the dust settled, as he could see their tunnels continued in the now exposed ground. Ash barely managed to track the Skarmory as it got back in the air with a single beat of its wings. Watching in anticipation as it went for another Steel Wing toward Dakota’s team.
Dakota, realizing the danger, called Charmander to Smokescreen. To Ash’s surprise, the steel bird stopped its dive in midair. Proceeded to clear the Smoke with one beat of its wings, and then resumed its dive in a matter of seconds. Leaving the young trainer in complete shock at what he just witnessed.
Charmander, realizing it was without cover, shot an Ember at the Steel-type. Once again, the apex predator beat its wings, this time redirecting the fireballs back toward Dakota and his team. Before they could reach them though, Amelia's Pidgey used Gust to shoot them to the side where they hit a psychic barrier.
Skarmory stopped its attack on Dakota’s team and immediately went for its only other threat in the sky. Amelia’s Pidgey tried to get back toward its allies while Charmander shot Ember after Ember at the former Champion’s Pokémon to no avail.
Bulbasaur tried to use its Vines to grab Skarmory’s talons, in an attempt to slow its onslaught but cried out in pain as the Steel-type sliced the vines off while simultaneously hitting Albion into the ground by performing a corkscrew. Unfortunately for Amelia, her team had no time to react and her Pidgey crashed into Ivy and Nidoran.
Ash bit back a curse as he was confident Amelia was now out of the battle and it hadn’t even been three minutes. Hoping that his team could hear him underground, he called out to them. Skarmory hadn’t been on the ground once; he and Dakota would need to work together for any chance of landing a hit.
“Artemis, Imperial, we aren't going to be able to get Skarmory on the ground. Go to Dakota’s team and wait for my signal.”
Ash then watched carefully as Skarmory turned back towards the only Pokémon above ground with a Steel Wing powered up. Doing his best to track the incredibly fast bird, Ash waited for the right moment.
“Now!”
He couldn’t have timed it better in his opinion, as his Pokémon exploded from the ground in a shower of dirt & debris at the same moment Skarmory was about to land the Steel Wing on Dakota’s team.
To his horror, Skarmory wasn’t fazed at all and pushed through, landing the Steel Wing on Dakota’s team, knocking both of his Pokémon out in one hit. Realizing that everything rested on him now, Ash went with the only strategy he could think of.
“Imperial! Sand-Attack on Skarmory, try and slow it down! Artemis, Swift!”
Skarmory didn’t even react to the Sand-Attack as it charged toward his team. Not even bothering to get airborne, and the Skarmory was still a blur. Smacking Imperial with a Steel Wing as it passed, Ash returned his friend, already knowing his Trapinch was knocked out.
A spark of hope was reignited in Ash though as Eevee managed to form five stars for Swift that accelerated towards Skarmory at incredible speeds. He couldn’t help his sigh of exasperation as the Steel-type Hardened. Leaving the stars from Swift to bounce harmlessly off Steven’s Pokémon.
Artemis tried to dodge with Quick Attack, but it was for naught, as Skarmory fired off a Flash Cannon that hit its mark, knocking Ash’s starter unconscious. With the last Pokémon down, Steven returned his Skarmory, leaving just the rookie trainers and Steven Stone with his Metagross.
“So,” Steven Started. “You all did pretty good, lasting five minutes. One thing I think you should all work on is training your team to battle without your input. As you just witnessed, in higher level battles there is very little time to speak and even less for Pokémon to wait for direction.”
“Skarmory went a little easy on you despite me telling her not to, but you did well. You weren’t supposed to be able to land a hit, and you definitely weren’t supposed to win... But, you did manage to land a hit.”
Ash was stunned by that revelation and couldn’t hide the grin on his face as Steven bent down and picked up a lone feather on the ground that Ash had missed. It had a silver sheen on one side and a blood-red hue on the other, marking it as a Skarmory feather.
Ash glanced at his friends and was happy to see the same smile he felt on his face on theirs, they wouldn’t have been able to do it without one another. Steven handed the feather to Ash who was surprised by its weight, he expected it to be heavier.
With a mental note to look up Skarmory in the Pokédex, Ash handed the feather to Dakota who then handed it to Amelia. Once everyone was done admiring their prize, Steven spoke again.
“Now you three have seen what a Pokémon that outclasses you and your teams in every way looks like. Keep that seared into your mind, and if you ever see something similar you know to run.”
“Skarmory wasn’t aiming to maim, or seriously harm you and your Pokémon. In fact, she had to put a lot of effort into not doing it so just imagine if it was the opposite. Now come on, let's get your teams healed up and back on the road, we have another day or so until we make it to Cerulean by my count.”
With their newfound prize and the warning of trying to fight outside their weight class, the group made their way back to their makeshift camp. Ready to tell their Pokémon about their accomplishment and show them Skarmory’s feather.
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It wasn’t until late in the evening on the fourth day on the road that the travelers arrived at Cerulean. The sun had begun to set as the group crested the horizon and they saw Cerulean City in all of its beauty.
The open layout and Mediterranean-style buildings with teal tiled roofs, and white plaster walls were stunning in the orange hue of the twilight. The golden bridge was picturesque, matching the color of the sunset, and reflecting off the crystal-clear blue water.
The group all collectively, and silently, took another moment to admire the view before making their way forward. It wasn’t until they had made it to the Pokémon Center did Steven Stone bid them farewell.
“Good luck you three! I imagine we will bump into each other again! Metagross my friend let's get back to Mt. Moon.”
The trio watched starstruck as the former Hoenn League champion just vanished, his Metagross silently and effortlessly teleporting them away. Nurse Joy’s chuckle broke them out of their revere.
“If I had a dollar for how many trainers stayed months in this center with the hope of catching an Abra after seeing a psychic teleport for the first time. This would be the most state-of-the-art Pokémon Center in the world!”
The trio laughed slightly, trying not to give away their new desire, but Nurse Joy must’ve seen the new glint in their eyes as she gave out a tired sigh.
“Well looks like I would’ve just got $3 richer. Here is what I’ll say for all of your bravery in Mt. Moon. Most of the Abra congregate around Route 24 or 25. I should warn you though, there is a reason that they are rare Pokémon and only extremely important league personnel have access to their evolved forms.”
The trio was paying rapt attention to Nurse Joy's words, not even wincing at the reminder of Mt. Moon. Although Ash was curious as to how she knew about it. Steven said that the records of the event would be sealed so Team Rocket couldn’t target them, or their families.
“Abra are very sensitive to emotions and threats. They sense danger from predators’ minds, and that also applies to trainers. If an Abra picks up that a trainer is trying to capture it, it will teleport almost immediately.”
The trio nodded their heads paying rapt attention to what the Cerulean Nurse Joy was saying, she was probably one of the biggest experts on Abra besides Sabrina. Since Cerulean is the only city with a suitable climate for the Abra Line’s breeding season.
“One last note, assuming you can clear your mind of all negative thoughts, Abra are very skittish; they might stay for a minute at most, so that’s all the time you have to convince them to join your team.”
As Nurse Joy turned to go back to work, Ash stopped her, wanting to know how she knew about Mt. Moon.
“Excuse me, Nurse Joy, how did you know about Mt. Moon? Steven said the records would be sealed.”
She gave a sympathetic smile. “Dear, I was the one who treated you three. My sister at the other side of the entrance had to stop people from entering.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
With his questions answered, the trio thanked Nurse Joy for more than just the information before heading to the cafeteria for dinner. There, despite the late hour, they began to plan their stay in Cerulean. They couldn’t help the excitement they had at the possibility of catching an Abra.
“I don’t know about you two, but I want an Abra. If not for my team, then to at least sell for supplies. You can sell them to the league for a guaranteed $22,000 but my sister said she has seen some wealthy trainers pay upwards of $40,000 for one.”
Ash felt his mouth open slightly at Amelia’s words, he never realized Abra were so valuable. Thankfully they all seemed to share the same sentiment in wanting to catch an Abra for one reason or another. Deciding as a group they would spend a week in Cerulean to try and catch some Abra, while also using the time to train and relax.
With the idea to meet back up for breakfast in the morning, the trio went to their respective rooms. Ash took a moment to set his Egg & Incubator down in an empty chair before releasing Artemis and Imperial.
With his friends free, he crashed onto the bed, and while his team got comfortable in their own sleeping arrangements. Ash closed his eyes, eager for the morning ahead.
Opening his eyes, he looked around in confusion. Why was he back in Mt. Moon? Before he could question it further, or wonder where his friends were at, he heard a maniacal and pure evil laugh from behind.
Turning as quick as he could, he felt true terror and fear as Pierce stood behind him laughing. His Muck beside him, a liquid mass of poison and gunk. Just the sight of it made his heart quicken and eyes dilate in fear.
“You thought you could get away from me! You can never escape Team Rocket Boy. Muck, kill him.”
Ash didn’t even have time to scream before he was swallowed whole, the stench, the struggle to breathe, the darkness, it was just like before. This time though he was alone, and Steven Stone wasn’t there to save him.
He opened his mouth to scream for help but nothing came out. Instead, the toxic sludge-filled his lungs, and he couldn’t breathe. Panic filled his entire being as he thrashed about, as his body begged for air.
With a start Ash opened his eyes, only to be met with Artemis’s, full of concern for her trainer. Ash felt a slight pain from his toe and when he looked, he noticed Imperial had lightly bit his foot and was warbling at him from the foot of the bed.
He Simultaneously felt guilty that he was scaring his Pokémon and keeping them awake, but also loved that his Pokémon cared so much. With a shaky breath, he tried to put on a confident smile.
“I’ll be okay you two, let's get some sleep, okay? We have a big day tomorrow.”
After another moment his team let their worries drop, but stayed next to him, for which he was thankful. In the end, he had to focus on his Pokémon's breathing to go back to sleep and calm his mind. This time, he drifted into sleep without any nightmares.
The next morning Ash couldn’t hide the grin on his face as he got ready for the day. Despite last night's nightmare, he slept well, and after feeding his team breakfast. He found himself with Amelia & Dakota in the Pokémon Center’s dining area.
Then, after a short breakfast, the group was outside the Center planning their quest for an Abra. Amelia took charge, something that Ash was thankful for since he was still a bit groggy.
“Alright, let's go north across the bridge. While I was waiting for you two lazy heads this morning, I overheard a couple of other trainers say that was where one of them had caught an Abra yesterday.”
Dakota and Ash just shrugged and followed her lead. They didn’t exactly have any plan to catch Abra per se, but they did have determination and youthful optimism. That was all they needed in Ash’s mind.
Several hours into their excursion the trio spotted their first Abra, but before anyone could do anything, it teleported away. Not ones to be easily discouraged though, the group continued on, still excited at the prospect of catching the notorious Psychic-type.
It wasn’t until the fourth Abra teleported away, and the sun was beginning to climb up on the horizon, signaling the end of the morning, did the frustrations rise to the surface.
“Dakota, will you try to keep quiet? I swear you're louder than a Tauros in a tea shop.”
“Me? You're the one who inhales like it's your last breath every time we see an Abra Amelia! We aren’t all blind ya know.”
Ash made the mistake of laughing at that because Amelia’s gaze immediately turned to him.
“Maybe I wouldn’t if Ash would actually pay attention and get out of his own head, He’s stepped on my heel at least ten times!!”
Ash felt a little sheepish at that, but he couldn’t help daydreaming about what he would buy with the money from selling any excess Abra he caught. However, instead of rising to their level, he attempted to de-escalate the situation.
“Okay, okay, this isn’t working. How about we split up? We are a decent way away from the city. We can all go and try and catch an Abra ourselves and the winner gets no chores for three days when we are back out on the road, deal? And Amelia, I am sorry about your feet.”
At everyone’s nod, and Amelia’s acceptance of Ash’s apology. Ash took off farther north, while Amelia went west, and Dakota east.
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Dakota went east for a couple miles before he found anything of interest. Which was just a lone Ekans, that upon hearing his steps, immediately disappeared into the underbrush.
“Okay, maybe Amelia has a bit of a point.” The rookie trainer grumbled to himself.
He couldn’t help how loud he stepped, it was impossible in his mind to keep his thoughts clear and watch out for any sticks that would give away his presence. That's when an idea came to him, ‘what if he waited for Abra to come to him?’
Deciding that he would be better off setting a trap for an Abra, Dakota backtracked a bit to a small stream he stumbled upon not long after he split from Ash and Amelia. He then followed it to a decent-sized pond that would be a perfect Pokémon oasis in his mind.
Dakota set up his fishing rod to help pass the boredom and got comfortable. But after a couple moments of thought covered himself in mud to help lower his scent and released Mankey to keep an eye out.
‘Rather safe than sorry.’ He thought to himself.
‘If there was anything interesting in this pond, he had the chance to get two new team members rather than one. He could already imagine the look on Amelia’s face when he returned with two Pokémon to her one, the same went for Ash.’
With that last thought, he got settled into his spot, a confident smirk on his face.
It wasn't for another hour until Dakota was disturbed from an unexpected nap by a pebble hitting him in the head. He grunted slightly and was about to curse his partner for the rude awakening until he saw what Mankey woke him up for.
The golden fur and tail of an Abra swooshed at the slight breeze as it slowly drank from the small pond. Dakota, seeing his opportunity, ever so slowly unclipped the Pokéball from his belt and got ready to throw it.
He would never get the chance to knock it out, as none of his Pokémon were quick enough. It was just his luck though, that after he finally got into position for a perfect throw. His fishing rod got a bite, jerking the line immediately.
Realizing he had less than seconds to react, he threw the ball in Abra’s general direction before diving on his fishing pole. Not giving the Pokémon a chance to disappear underwater with his new fishing rod. He hoped that he would be able to turn the most unlucky timing ever, into a great story.
Not bothering to check if he got the Abra, he continued to struggle with the Pokémon on his line. The last thing he wanted was a negative mindset going into a battle with this wild Pokémon.
After several moments of struggling Dakota could finally feel the Pokémon begin to tire out, and with a heave, he pulled up a small blue Pokémon out of the pond that had a hypnotic spiral on its abdomen.
Before he could even react, a Water Gun was barreling straight at him. Thankfully, Mankey was quick and took the hit before the attack could hit its trainer.
“Great job Congo! I want to catch this guy so let's start with a Low Kick, and follow it up with Scratch.”
Mankey followed his command perfectly, all while dodging another Water Gun. Before the Poliwag knew what hit it, it was on the ground from Low Kick with a rough scratch on its stomach. Immediately the Water-type was on its feet again moving back towards the pond.
“Congo, don’t let it escape. Cut it off and hit it with another Scratch!”
Mankey showed off the athleticism its species was known for, cutting off Poliwag’s escape while Dakota prepared another Pokéball. Making a mental note that he had one more left, the rookie trainer watched closely for an opening.
Thankfully he didn’t have to wait long. Realizing that its escape was cut off, Poliwag locked eyes with Mankey, and the Fighting-type began to sway slightly as if in a trance. Realizing what was happening, Dakota threw the ball, understanding that Hypnosis required incredible focus.
Even if he missed, the distraction would break Poliwag’s focus before Mankey fell asleep and then they could go back on the attack for a knockout capture. Thankfully it wasn’t necessary as the Pokéball hit its mark.
The Poliwag was sucked into the device and after four attempts at escape the ball pinged, signifying the capture.
Mankey jumped in excitement and Dakota joined him. They got at least one new team member, and after their moment of celebration, it was time to see if they managed to get two in one day. Clipping Poliwags’ ball to his belt, Dakota began to walk slowly in the direction he threw his other Pokéball at Abra.
“I don’t know if we caught it buddy. I never heard the ping, or the sound of the ball breaking because Abra broke out. Which means I probably missed.”
Fear and doubt were clear in Dakota’s voice. Mankey, for its part, refused to believe that and smacked its trainer on the head before leaping to the Pokéball that it spotted by the bank of the pond.
Rubbing the back of his head, Dakota grumbled about disobedient Pokémon but stopped in the middle of his sentence as he picked up the Pokéball and felt its warmth.
A huge grin appeared on his face, clipping the ball to his belt as he practically skipped with joy back over to where he left his things, Mankey following him.
After he got everything together, he turned to his partner.
“You know they won’t believe us, right? This is the type of thing that happens in the Safari Zone, not out in the wild!”
Mankey snickered in agreement as the two made their way back to Cerulean. It was almost midday from what he could tell, but he wasn’t going to put it up to chance since he had no idea how far the walk back to Cerulean would take.
The last thing he wanted was to be stuck out in the wilderness outside of Cerulean. So, after getting into a comfortable pace, he released Charmander to walk beside him as Mankey swung from the tree branches ahead. Absent-mindedly he wondered what Ash & Amelia had gotten into.
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“Stupid boys and their stupidness.”
Amelia sighed as she came to a stop by a small stream, splashing some water on her face to cool off. She had been walking for over an hour now after the trio separated and she was getting frustrated, she had seen two Abra and both disappeared the second she had seen them.
Maybe Dakota had a point, but she couldn’t help it. The sight of Pokémon in their natural habitat still amazed her. Standing up she came to a conclusion, if she was meant to find an Abra, then she would, but she would stop trying so hard and instead just focus on exploring the nature around her.
She had to be in some unexplored places by now, she hoped so at least. Deciding to abandon her quest for an Abra, she started to follow the stream to its source. There had to be some interesting Pokémon there she thought, and after another moment released her Pidgey.
Instructing him to fly around and to notify her of anything interesting. She continued to go upstream.
“It's nice to have a pair of eyes in the sky.”
She mumbled to herself as she took in the dense forest around her. While Ekans were typically too afraid to attack trainers, Arbok were not, and Cerulean was notorious for having some of the big snakes in their surrounding forests.
With that new fear and some slight trepidation, she continued on, determined to find a new teammate. Absentmindedly trying to think of what Pokémon lived on the outskirts of Cerulean.
She ended up following the stream upriver for another thirty minutes before hearing the dull thrum of water crashing on rocks. Spending another five minutes after that to find the source with Albion’s help.
She couldn’t help but gasp at the beauty of the place. There were tons of Pokémon in this little oasis, just living their lives. A multitude of Rattata circled the clearing while a few Abra drank from the clear water. She could see a couple Goldeen swimming in the pond and a few Poliwags playing as a Poliwrath watched over them. There was even a Chansey walking around.
It was beautiful, and it wasn’t until her Pidgey landed on her shoulder that she was broken out of her stupor. Pulling out her Pokédex, she took a video of the clearing and the waterfall along with all the Pokémon in their natural habitat.
She was sure Professor Oak would enjoy it. With her capture done and setting it to send the information to The Professor when she had service again, she continued on. Walking around the outskirts of the clearing as the last thing she wanted was to ruin this safe place for these Pokémon.
But before she could completely leave, she noticed a small opening in the rock that looked like a cave entrance. Letting her curiosity get the best of her, Amelia found herself sneaking along toward the cave entrance. Doing her best to not disturb any of the Pokémon in the oasis.
There were a couple things that Amelia realized once she entered the cave. The first of which was that it was nothing like Mt. Moon. This cave was dark and damp, it was cold, and the rushing water was so loud it was beginning to give her a headache.
Not wanting to let a bit of discomfort stop her, she pulled out her flashlight and returned her Pidgey, she already knew he would hate the confined space. She then replaced him with her Bulbasaur & Nidoran.
“Alright you two. I am setting a twenty-minute timer for us to explore, Cyrus can you keep track of our path so we can make it back? Ivy you too? Also, alert please. This cave feels wild and strong.”
Her two teammates nodded their heads and with that warning, she ignited her flashlight to begin a carefully slow trek deeper into the cave.
The beeping of her alarm scared her so much that she almost jumped into the flowing water on her left. She hadn’t found a single Pokémon she could catch. Don’t get her wrong, she had seen plenty of Pokémon, but she was in no position to try and capture any of them.
It quickly became apparent to her that she should not have entered this cave. Within the first five minutes, she saw a herd of Rhydon with a Rhyperior leading them, she saw several Seel and Dewgong, a handful of Psyduck and Goldduck, and she even saw a Lapras that swam by.
She took a picture of the incredibly rare Pokémon before it had a chance to notice her, but the risk was well worth it since Lapras were nearly extinct. Finding one was a big discovery, and she knew Professor Oak would know what to do with the information.
Taking a breath to calm her nerves she turned towards her little party. Thankfully, she could see fairly well without the flashlight as the cave had a multitude of crystals that gave off an ethereal glow. Because of that, she had put away her flashlight in her bag, and at the right time too.
As it wasn’t long after she turned it off and put it away, that she saw the Rhydon colony along with everything else that called this cave home. The last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to herself with a shiny light.
“Alright, let's explore this little passage to our right here and then we will head back, okay?”
She barely heard her own whisper, but that was a good thing, there was nothing she could do if the inhabitants of this cave heard her and got annoyed at her presence.
Sneaking past a snoring Golduck, she made her way into the small passage, gasping once inside the cavern. The glowing crystals twinkled like the night sky, making the crystal-clear water in the pond glimmer.
She asked Nidoran to keep an eye out while she peered into the water, intent on seeing if any Pokémon called the pond home, and upon a closer look she couldn’t believe her eyes. There was a whole colony of Feebas! She thanked Arceus for her luck before setting up her fishing rod with some bait.
Feebas was one of, if not the most, rare Water-type Pokémon in the Kanto-Johto region. Researchers couldn’t figure out how, but the brown fish was able to evolve into one of the most beautiful Pokémon, Milotic.
If she could catch one, she was confident she would be able to help the Feebas evolve into the beautiful Water-type. Her line got a bite, and she immediately pulled the Feebas out of the water where it flopped around a bit.
“Be careful Bulbasuar, use Vine-Whip!”
Bulbasaur immediately struck out with its vines, but as they shot forward, a clear coat surrounded the brown fish. Thankfully the Mirror Coat shattered as the vines made contact, cutting deep into the fish’s scales. Not wanting to risk any more damage to her new partner she threw her Pokéball.
The fish was sucked into the device that pinged almost immediately, signifying the successful capture. Amelia couldn’t help herself as she jumped for joy, attaching the ball to her hip.
“This turned out better than I thought, I can’t wait to show what I caught to Dakota & Ash! Let’s go you two, you remember the way out, right?”
At her team's nod, she smiled. Following Nidoran who led and Bulbasaur who followed behind. The entire time she kept her breathing calm and stayed as silent as possible, the last thing she wanted to do was to become a target. It would really suck if she was killed by a Pokémon after catching such a rare Water-type in Feebas.
Finding her way out of the cave, she immediately headed back towards Cerulean. It was still about midday, but she had a long walk ahead of her and wanted to be back in time for dinner. Releasing Albion while returning Ivy and Cyrus, before picking up the pace slightly. All the while she couldn’t help but wonder what Dakota & Ash had gotten into.
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Ash rubbed the bridge of his nose in some vain attempt that it would stave off a headache. He had been walking for miles uphill at this point and was hoping that maybe he’d find an Abra along the way to no avail.
Instead, he just came upon a large lake at the top of a rocky outcropping on the side of the mountain. Seeing that the sun was at its peak, meant that he had been hunting for an Abra for at least eight hours at this point.
He didn’t want to go back without a new teammate, and while selling an Abra would’ve made for a decent chunk of money. He was beginning to realize there was a reason they were worth so much. Seeing that it was a huge lake, and a Water-type would help him out a lot, he decided it was as good a place as any to try and catch a new member for his team.
So after pulling out a fishing rod, he got himself situated in a nook that was carved out of the mountain, casting his line in the water. Maybe he would get lucky and there would be a Dratini in here, but he highly doubted it.
Dratini was the rarest Pokémon in Kanto, and only found in Kanto as far as he was aware. To find the first evolution of Dragonite though would definitely be better than any Abra. With his line cast, Ash released his Pokémon. He didn’t want to be the only one relaxing after all.
“I am just going to try and fish for a new teammate, let me know if you two spot any trouble. Otherwise, feel free to relax, you've both earned it!”
He got an affirmative warble from Trapinch, and the yip from Eevee was all he needed to shut his eyes. If he got a bite, it would wake him up, and he trusted his team to keep watch. It might’ve been a bit arrogant, but he worked hard today and deserved a little bit of rest.
The jerk of the fishing rod was what broke him out of his nap, and his quick reaction time was the only thing that stopped his pole from flying into the lake. Immediately, Artemis & Imperial were beside him and he was glad he released them before he dozed off.
With a heave, he pulled his rod up and back, only for the line to nearly snap. The practice they had in training school kicked in, and Ash started giving the line a little bit of slack while he wrestled for control, trying to tire out the Pokémon. After what felt like an eternity of back and forth, he tried to pull the Pokémon out of the water once again.
His muscles strained, but he stopped, hearing a crack in his fishing rod. He went back to wrestling with the Pokémon in an effort to tire it out further, but he didn’t know how much more he could handle.
His arms felt like jelly and his legs were starting to buckle, taking in his surroundings, he realized how late it actually was. The sun was starting to set and there was an orange hue cast over the rocky outcropping he was in.
If he wasn’t in one of the hardest struggles of his life, he might’ve been able to appreciate the beauty of it. Although once he realized he would have to make camp without any equipment if he didn’t end this soon, he gave it one more tug.
With herculean effort, he pulled up, his muscles screaming in protest, but he managed to land the Pokémon. Shocked to see a Chinchou land in front of him, crying out as it began to stand slightly on its two back feet. It looked pissed, and Ash couldn’t blame it too much; he just took it from its home.
“Artemis, Quick Attack then Tackle. Keep it from going back in the Water.”
“Imperial stay back buddy, I want to give Chinchou a fair fight.”
Chinchou glanced at him as he gave his commands, but turned back to Artemis as she charged the Water/Electric-type. Chinchou shot a Water Gun that Eevee barely dodged before she hit the angler Pokémon closer to Ash.
Chinchou, realizing it was in a bad spot, let loose an Electro Ball that Artemis just managed to jump away from. Unfortunately, the resulting explosion from the attack created a huge cloud of smoke and debris, and Ash was once again reminded of the need to perfect Swift with his starter.
“Artemis, Double Kick, follow it up with another Tackle!”
He could barely see through the smoke but hoped that all the training with Dig would pay off and Artemis would be able to sense Chinchou without actually being underground. Although squinting through the smoke, it didn’t look like Chinchou had moved at all.
‘It must be exhausted from trying to get away,’ he thought.
Thankfully he was close enough to hear rather than see the Double Kick land and hoped that Eevee’s cry of victory meant that the dual Water/Electric-type was down for the count.
Finding his way over to where Artemis was, was almost as difficult as landing the Chinchou... almost. Taking one look at the angler Pokémon, Ash winced a little at the bruising on its body from Eevee’s hits but swelled with a little bit of pride at how powerful his starter had become.
Taking a Pokéball, and confirming his capture on the unconscious Chinchou, filled Ash with renewed vigor. Chinchou weren’t that rare out in the ocean, but they were rare to find in lakes and rivers. Not to mention, that Lanturns could be pretty powerful Pokémon as sometimes their biology allowed them to absorb electricity in a way that made them stronger.
Deciding to ask Professor Oak about how to test if his Chinchou would have that ability when he got back to the center, Ash went back to his nook and gathered his things. He would have to move at a jogger's pace to be able to make it back before sundown.
And while he dreaded the exercise after such a brutal struggle, healing up his new Pokémon and a hot meal, gave him the boost he needed. Returning Imperial since the Ground-type wouldn’t be able to keep up, Ash set off, with Artemis right beside him.
He couldn’t help but wonder how Dakota & Amelia’s day went.
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The journey back to the Center was long and tiring for Ash, and once he got back, he spotted Dakota and Amelia waiting by the doors. A look of relief appeared on their faces as they noticed him coming toward the Pokémon Center.
“There you are!” Amelia exclaimed, “We were waiting on you for hours and were beginning to worry. If you hadn’t shown up in another fifteen minutes, I would’ve told Nurse Joy!”
Dakota nodded his head in agreement and Ash rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
“Sorry guys I found this really cool lake and fell asleep waiting to catch a Pokémon. I'm just glad I got a bite when I did or else I would’ve ended up camping out there.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle at how lucky he’d been so far in his journey. First the Viridian City incident, then Mt. Moon, and now this.
‘It's a good thing I’ve given my mom watered-down stories or else she'd force me to come home right now.’ Ash was broken out of his thoughts at Dakota’s words.
“So you caught a Water-type then? What was it? Amelia & I were afraid you’d come back empty-handed.”
The red-capped trainer grinned a bit at that.
“I caught a Chinchou! It was super fierce, and strong, it nearly broke my Fishing Rod!”
Dakota and Amelia were shocked at his revelation, inspecting the crack that ran all the way down his Fishing Rod. Amelia gave an appreciative whistle, as Dakota spoke.
“No Abra?”
With a shake of his head, the duo turned to each other and grinned.
“Well, you definitely lose Ash, although you’ll need to determine who won between the two of us.”
At his shocked look, his friends began to recap how their adventures went after they separated, with Dakota going first followed by Amelia. As they told their stories, he began to understand why he definitely lost. Finding and catching a Feebas was crazy, but to do that and also get a picture of a Lapras in its natural habitat... Ash was really tempted to give her the win.
Although if Dakota wasn’t exaggerating his story, one that his Mankey even backed up, that was also pretty incredible. Not to mention, the challenge was to catch an Abra. Somehow, he felt as though he would be stuck with all the chores for the next three nights on the road.
Then an idea popped into his head, bringing himself out of his own thoughts just in time to hear the tail end of Dakota’s argument with Amelia. One he was positive they had had multiple times at this point.
“-ut Amelia, I got two Pokémon within minutes of each other, that doesn't happen outside of the Safari Zone, and five minutes in there costs $10,000.”
“Alright, I know how we will settle this!”
At his statement, the two stopped their bickering and gave him their attention.
“It sounds like we need to bring in a third party, one who has world experience, and who better than Professor Oak? I want to talk to him about my Chinchou, but I am sure he could say definitively who had the better adventure today, agree?”
At the nod of their heads, he smiled to himself for coming up with such a good plan to pass off the responsibility. He didn’t want one of his friends to resent him over something as trivial as this. Especially after everything they had been through.
“Okay, we can give him a call together. I want to have Nurse Joy take a look at Chinchou but after that we’re good!”
Soon, the trio was sitting in one of the Pokémon Center’s video phone booths, dialing Professor Oak's line. After a couple of rings, the bleary-eyed Professor answered the phone, his graying hair was splayed everywhere and there were darker circles under his eyes.
Upon seeing the trio though, a glimmer appeared in the Professor's eye, and he was immediately awake and alert.
“Oh Ho Oh, if it isn’t the trainers that everyone’s been dying to talk to.”
At their confused looks, the legendary Oak continued on.
“Well you see, every time you register a Pokémon to your ID, The League and I receive notifications. Now normally nothing comes of that, but boy was I surprised when I saw Dakota got two Pokémon within minutes of each other, one being an Abra no less.”
“And then, Amelia my dear, catches a Feebas of all things. I’ll say this, when I told The League personnel who called after seeing the Feebas registered, that you were indeed in Cerulean. Lance called not soon after.”
“Combine that with your escapades in Mt. Moon, and it's needless to say that I’ve been waiting for this call.”
At the trio’s nervous faces, Professor Oak added.
“Don’t panic, I haven’t informed your families of the real stories. I will leave that to you three, and what you leave in and what you leave out, I will agree with. All I’ll say is that I am glad the three of you have a chance to call.”
Ash for one, was at a loss for words. He figured that the Professor knew about some of the stuff but he didn’t think he had followed their journey that closely, he was a busy man after all.
Thankfully, Amelia spoke up, since he was still processing everything that the good Professor said. Then before he knew it, all of them were telling the Professor everything that happened since they left Pewter.
They spent at least an hour getting the Professor up to speed, and by the end of it, he looked extremely tired, although there was a little bit of mirth in his eyes.
“Let me start by saying this, you three have had a journey so far that most people will never see in their lifetime and you’re not even a month in! I hope for your all’s sake that it slows down for you, if I can help in any way, please let me know.”
They nodded their heads at that, and the Professor put on a more happy facade.
“Now Amelia, can you please send me the picture of the Lapras? It was good thinking to take a picture and not capture it, if you had, you would very likely be in jail right now.”
At their surprised expressions, he continued to elaborate while Amelia shuffled through her Pokédex photos.
“Lapras are on the endangered species list. As such, only a handful are allowed to be captured every year and only at certain sanctuaries, the Safari Zone being one of them. Anytime one is captured, the League calls all the sanctuaries to check if a Lapras has been caught, and if the current count hasn’t been reached, the trainer is allowed to keep it.”
“Because the last wild Lapras was found three decades ago by Lorelei, it's very likely she would have come to you personally. She has become a protector of the species, and while I am sure you would’ve been let free, I almost guarantee they would’ve detained you first.”
“Plus without capturing it, you may very well have made a discovery of a lifetime. Lapras were rare before Pokémon research became popular, so we never were able to study them in a natural habitat.”
“If the one you found is indeed wild, then you may have given us the key to saving the species. That alone I believe gives you the win in your competition. Although I do see Dakota’s point, I believe finding a wild Lapras trumps it all.”
At that point, Amelia finally found the photo and plugged her Pokédex into the computer, sending the photo to the Professor. Meanwhile, Dakota looked slightly crestfallen but not upset. If the Professor was right, and he usually is, then Ash was certain they all understood how big of a discovery this was.
As Samuel Oak looked over the information, the trio became lost in their thoughts. Ash was curious about the status of his Chinchou, Amelia was trying to memorize how to get back to the cave, and Dakota was thinking of the training regime he would start with his team tomorrow.
When Ash looked back to the screen the smile on the Professor's face was genuine and while he looked his age at the beginning of the call, the legendary trainer now looked 20 years younger.
“Amelia my dear, you have indeed found a true & wild Lapras.”
At the Professor’s words, a smile so big bloomed on her face that Ash wondered if he had ever seen her so happy. But before she could celebrate, the Professor continued.
“Now, the League will pay you a reward of $100,000 tax-free for the discovery of a wild Lapras and its habitat. What you do with that money is up to you. Also, once I tell Lorelei I am positive she will clear her schedule to come to Cerulean and ask you to guide her to where you saw it. Are you willing to do that?”
At her nod, the Professor immediately began typing up some sort of E-mail, and after a second he turned back to the camera.
“Alright, now for an important decision. Do you want me to credit you with the discovery?”
She hesitated, before asking the same question Ash thought.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
The Professor smiled, like a teacher when a student asked the question they had been waiting for.
“Because my dear, claiming a discovery this great will bring a lot of attention to you all. Some good and some bad, and while you have proven your ability to take care of yourselves, this would be completely different.”
“You would become a target, not a bystander. In all your other encounters with Team Rocket, you have stumbled into them. Once they, and other people like them, got this information. Catching you would be their goal.”
Flashbacks of Mt. Moon flashed through Ash’s mind, and he couldn’t help but flinch. They had been powerless, and if it wasn’t for Steven, they would all be dead right now. One look at his companions' pale faces and he knew they were thinking something similar.
“No Professor, if you could keep my name out of it I would be grateful.”
At that, the Professor sighed with relief.
“Good, now you three need to get some rest, you all have had a long day. Lorelei said she needed to check her schedule but will send a message to Nurse Joy with a time once she’s available.”
The trio nodded their heads in acceptance, willing to delay their journey as long as possible to meet a member of the Elite Four.
“Great! I will let her know, now get to bed.”
With that, the Professor hung up the phone, and the trio were by themselves. Dakota’s voice broke them out of their stupor.
“Well, I am with the Professor. We should get breakfast in the morning and figure out our plans moving forward, agreed?”
At his and Amelia’s nod, Dakota took off toward his room followed shortly by Amelia. Meanwhile, Ash took a detour to the front desk, and after finding out that his Chinchou would be fine in the morning, made his way back towards his room.
It wasn’t until he was halfway down the hallway, did he realize that he never asked the Professor how to test if his Chinchou had the ability to absorb electricity. Making a mental note to ask him the next time he saw him, Ash opened the door to his room.
Flipping the light switch as he walked in. Only to realize that he would not be getting to sleep anytime soon, as his egg was shaking uncontrollably in the incubator. A couple of cracks already in its shell.