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Chapter Text

The Blossoming of Ashley
The kanto saga
Chapter 1:Girl i choose you Part 1

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This is a trans girl Ashley fic in which Ash realizes she wants to be a girl. The first chapter will use male pronouns up until Ash realizes she is a girl.

Many changes to what you know will happen here from Ash meeting Erika not misty on the fateful first day, to many different captures to even the order in which Ashley travels the regions. This is not a 1 to 1 clone of the anime storyline, this is a what if of another way for Ashley to become a world class trainer.

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In Pallet Town, a small town in the region of Kanto, tomorrow is a big day for 4 trainers who will be setting out on the adventure. In this world, many young 14 year olds take on a pokemon journey. Now, once every year those of age are given a starter pokemon by the towns professor and Pallet is home to the region's greatest professor and one of the greatest in the world Professor Samuel Oak.

3 of these 4 teenagers were asleep, dreaming of becoming Pokemon champions but one young boy was not. No, for he is watching the pokemon grand championships live on TV hosted in the far off Orre region.

A rather larger than average Garchomp with a jagged scar on her chest stood on one side of the battlefield. Her back fin, it was some serrated due to years of fierce battling. It’s coloring was actually unique, a darker shade of blue than the norm. She was panting a bit, but with a toothy smirk on its face. Behind the by now infamous Mach Pokémon, was her trainer.

Though calling her a trainer might have been a bit of an understatement. She was the champion of champions, the one who stood at the top of the mountain. None other than the now legendary Cynthia, her long blond hair flowing freely down past her waist.

Her sole visible eye was shining brightly, and despite the tough battle she’d been through she still wore a smile on her face. If you looked in her eyes, she actually seemed thrilled at the challenge she’d been given all night. She stood a rather imposing six feet, almost as tall as her signature dragon. Her body was wrapped in a black fur coat, whipping in the wind, and her intimidating presence made many a trainer falter before even sending out their first Pokemon.

“Now here we are folks, the end of the match,” the announcer thundered. “Both trainers have battled hard, both champions and both divine beauties are down to their very last Pokemon! Now, only one shall stand tall and take home the Masters Championship trophy, while the other falls!”

On the other side was a beautiful, elegant, graceful Gardevoir shimmering in the moonlight, a unique coloring of pink and white. This Pokemon, radiating love and justice was bruised badly from the ongoing battle, But like any champion, the Gardevoir refused to give in. Now, behind her is her lovely trainer, the 3 times regional champion of Kalos and world class model Diantha. Standing at 5 feet 8 inches with an extra 4 from her heels, she wasn’t quite as imposing as her opponent. She stood tall and elegant and with her all white clothing she looked rather angelic.

This actually had the effect of marking her as rather a sharp contrast to the somewhat devilish, and roguish-looking Cynthia. A few years back, there had been some sort of controversy about how boyish she’d looked, but it’d mostly faded from the people’s minds. Not that Ash really cared. No, his eyes were glued to the screen in front of him. He couldn’t decide, Cynthia or Dianthia? Who was the better trainer? He wanted to be like them so badly, though whenever he looked at either one of them he felt this odd ache he could never place.

“I have to admit, you surprised me this year, Diantha. You’ve gotten stronger,” Cynthia said. “You even captured a Diancie, that’s an impressive feat. But I’d expect nothing less from you, old friend.”

Dianthia smiled on the TV. “I’ll admit, you’ve got us on the ropes, but this battle’s almost over.”

“Yes, I rather think it is,” Cynthia said. “Tiamat, Endure the attack! She may look pretty, but don’t her looks deceive you. Gardevoir is just as tough as you are!”

“My next attack, my last attack… It shall be spectacular, will it not, Amélie?”

Her Gardevoir nodded and Dianthia pointed at the dragon in front of them.

“MOONBLAST!” Diantha cried, as a glowing beam of pink and blue energy rocketed towards Tiamat, carving up the ground beneath it.

Cynthia laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way!”

As Garchomp took the attack, sliding backwards in the sand, her trainer nodded.

“Good work Tiamat, I knew it’d take more than that to take you down,” Cynthia said, with her dragon smirking back at her. “Now… Retaliate with Dragon Rush!”

A blue ray shot from Tiamat’s hands, forming into the shape of a roaring dragon with fiery red eyes.

“Moonblast, again!”

Both attacks collided, sending a pillar of light miles into the sky and the screen went white, before the glow started to fade.

“I can’t see anything folks, I can’t tell who won!” the announcer said.

“NO WHAT'S HAPPENING* Ash shouted, grabbing onto his TV and shaking it a little. “WHO WON? WHO WON?”

Ash just sat and started, his heart racing a million miles a second.

“Stay calm Pokefans, I know you all want to see the result of that positively BRUTAL clash of beams but we’re going to have to wait a bit for the smoke to clear!”

When the dust finally settled, there was a crater several feet deep where the arena floor once was. Both trainers were coughing from the dust, before finally the victor was revealed. On the floor, Amélie lays before her trainer, completely out cold.

Diantha smiled, returning her beloved Embrace Pokémon to her pokeball, nodding at Cynthia.

“Thanks girl, you fought well,” she said before turning to Cynthia. “And thanks Cynthia, for the great battle.”

Koto a little petite woman, with an eevee beside her raced out to the battlefield and lifted Cynthia’s arm up while the little eevee was next to TIamat hopping up and down trying to lift the garchomps arm up as the crowds roared. “And there you have it folks, this totally awesome and violent world championship, Cynthia is our WORLD CHAMPION ONCE AGAIN!”

“YES YES, THAT WAS THE GREATEST BATTLE EVER AND JUST YOU WAIT CYNTHIA BY THE NEXT WORLD TOURNAMENT I'LL BE CHAMPION MYSELF AND I'LL FACE YOU! Just you wait!” Ash said, pointing at the TV to give his declaration of war.

“Asssssssh! It’s way past your bedtime! Go ahead and brush your teeth!”

“Sorry Mom!” Ash said, and as he climbed into bed he dreamt of tomorrow’s journey. He dreamt of the future, a mighty venusaur by his side as the crowds roared.

And in his sleep, he mumbled: “Your new world champion… Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!”

-----

“Wait, what do you mean you’re all out of Pokemon?”

Ash felt his heart nearly stop, like his whole world had been ripped out from under him.

“I’m sorry Ash my boy, but all of the other trainers got here before you did. Now, if you just wait a day…”

“But I don’t want to wait a day, I want to start my Pokemon journey today!” Ash said, knowing he sounded a bit whiny but he’d been waiting for years. He’d planned to start at ten, but a few years back, 4 exactly the league had moved up the age due to safety concerns. Something, at the time his mom had been in full support of saying ten year olds shouldn’t be out in the wilderness alone even with their Pokemon to protect them.

She’d said she’d been worried that Ash wouldn’t be able to control his Pokemon, citing fears of an out of control Charizard that would refuse to listen to him. Never mind the fact that Ash would have chosen Bulbasaur anyways, which anyways looked to be rather moot right now. His journey, his dreams of taking Cynthia’s title looked to be crashing down all around him.

“Well…” Oak paused, his expression turning thoughtful. “I do have one Pokemon…”

“I’ll take it, I’ll take anything you have, even a Magikarp! I’ll raise it to be the best ever!”

“I have no doubt you will, my boy,” Oak said, smiling at Ash like he was his own grandson. He all but was these days, with how well he knew Delia. “It’s just… well, this Pokemon I caught, she’s rather temperamental. I’m not sure if I’d give her to a beginner trainer who’s just starting out.”

Ash sighed. “I understand.”

“...but, then again, I suppose you could think of this as your first real experience training a Pokemon,” Oak said, and Ash’s eyes widened. “Now I know I put her Pokeball around here somewhere…”

After a few moments of searching, rummaging around his desk the man let out an ‘ah-ha!’ and revealed a Pikachu from inside a Pokeball.

“Now, here she is, here’s your PIKAAAAAAAAAAACHUUUUUUUU!” Oak shouted as the Pikachu shocked the both of them in a jolt of golden lightning. As the smoke cleared, both ash-faced, the Professor sweatdropped. “...see what I mean?”

Ash coughed. “...yeah, I kinda do, Professor. But, like you always say, there’s no Pokemon that can’t be trained!”

“I did say that, though…” Oak and Ash looked nervously at the Pikachu, her cheeks still sparking angrily. “...I hope I won’t be eating my words shortly, I found this one chewing on the power cables a few nights ago and it was a hassle just to catch the little mouse. This Pikachu is a really independent one! Very strong willed, she kinda reminds me of you actually!”

“Then that just means we’ll be perfect partners!” Ash grinned, and reached down to pet Pikachu just as the mouse’s cheeks started sparking even more. “Isn’t that right little budd-”

“PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKAAAAAAACHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!”

Ash lay twitching on the floor.

“...well I suppose there have been worse starts to a journey,” Oak mused aloud. “...though for the life of me I can’t quite remember when…”

Soon he bolted upwards and glared at the electric mouse who smirks at him sticking out her tongue “Why you…. No, it's fine, I'll show you! I’ll show you I’m a good trainer, I’ll show you that I’ll be the best in the world!”

Oak could only chuckled at this display. “You know something tells me you two belong together.”

Ash didn’t notice this but Oak's eyes glanced over at an old sketchbook on his desk.

“Now before you get going I need to give you a few things. First is a pokedex. This is the latest model so please treat it carefully. It has all known Pokemon not just in Kanto but the entire world,” Oak handed the bright young man a little red, rectangular box who took it like it was a pokeball holding Arceus Himself. “Now it also has a built-in phone though it should really only be used in case of emergencies. It also keeps track of your wins and your losses, for credit to spend on supplies.”

Oak paused, in thought before he snapped his fingers.

“Ah, before I forget! You need pokeballs!” the Professor said, pulling out a case of about 25 red and white balls used the world over.

Ash stared at him, and at the case. “...come on Professor, isn’t that a bit much? Like, nobody uses up that many Pokeballs on their first day!”

He glanced over at Pikachu, who was smirking evilly no doubt already planning on keeping her trainer from catching any Pokemon at all.

“...on the other hand, I see your point.”

-----

As Ash walked back home to his mom’s house, he kept glancing back at the electric mouse. Pikachu was giving him the stink eye, and clearly disliked the leash she was on.

“...now come on Pikachu, maybe we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Ash Ketchum, okay little buddy? Let’s be pals?”

The little demon just shocked him again.

“...I suppose I should have seen that coming,” Ash said with a sigh. “...I wonder who’s training who at the moment.”

Slowly, but surely, the two made their way across town towards the Ketchum family household. Pikachu suddenly stopped, sniffing at the air and at this Ash grinned. “Oh, that's my moms cafe. Now behave while I’m getting my stuff and i'll introduce you to her and her cooking. Deal?”

Pikachu paused for thought. On one hand, being saddled with this idiot was worse than meeting Giratina himself. On the other hand… free food! She could plot how to escape later, right now she needed a meal.

“Cha…” Pikachu said, which in Pokespeak probably could have been interpreted as a: ‘finnnnnnne…’

Ash’s smile grew even wider. “GREAT! See, I told you we could come to an understanding, eh little buddy?”

Pikachu, the little devil, she just glared at him.

Ash frowned worriedly as he walked up to his room, pulling out a small case from under the bed.

“...man, I don’t even know why I’m taking this stuff, but…” he sighed, opening the case to reveal a dark red tank top, along with a light blue skirt. Pulling on some knee high socks, he also pulled on a pair of women’s boots just to see if they fit. “...Was never able to get the hat to match the official pokemon league girls hat. Stupid perfume smelling contest… I mean, what does that have to do with being a pokemon master?”

Quickly taking off the boots and putting on his regular shoes.

He never understood just why these clothes stayed so clean. He would be the first to admit, he was not exactly a tidy person but every time he put them on they were clean and smelled good and had even been nicely folded. By now he was pretty sure he stuffed them back in the box maybe girls clothes where magic and cleaned and folded themselves. That had to be the only explanation!

Pikachu had snuck upstairs and blinked, letting out a ‘Pika?’ as her ears twitched. So her idiot trainer wasn’t a boy at all, though being an idiot she hadn’t realized it yet. She was probably too dumb to figure it out for herself, which was… honestly kinda sad actually.

Stupid! She couldn’t believe she was pitying this idiot of a human.

“Just a minute buddy...” Ash stuffed the clothes inside his(?) backpack. There was that odd ache again, he’d had it several times before but he didn’t know why.

It was like, whenever he saw a beautiful woman or helped his mom do her clothes shopping, he felt like something was missing. It was always on the tip of his tongue, looking him square in the face but he could never figure out just what it was he wanted to say to himself.

Just looking at himself in the mirror sometimes made him feel all wrong inside. Like he didn’t like who was looking back at him. He wanted to dismiss it as not the man he imagined himself to be, but it was getting harder and harder to ignore that aching feeling.

That something, he didn’t know what, was out of place and that something was wrong with him. …but what?

-----

Gary tried to pull the old Pokeball out of his hands, the two having fished it out of a river. “You should stop this, you’re such a girl Ashy. You should leave the real Pokemon catching to the men!”

“SHUT UP GARY! Women can be pokemon masters too, like Cynthia or Diantha or Agatha or Lorelei! Would you say any of that to them?”

“Ugh, you idiot, I was trying to insult you, not women. Sheesh, don't give me that lecture. My sister would kill me if she thought I was insulting women!”

Ash wouldn’t dare admit it, but the idea of playing with dolls did sound kinda fun. Again, he wasn’t sure why as he wasn’t interested in playing with dolls, not really. But the way Gary had said it…

-----

Ash was older now looking through an official pokemon league merchandise magazine. He stopped when he saw a new line of clothing showing a young woman dressed in a tank top and skirt labeled the Leafgreen line. He just knew that he HAD to have it looked far better than the Firered line. But how could he even get his mom to buy girl clothes for him? Boys couldn’t wear girl clothes, it was illegal!

An Officer Jenny would so totally like arrest him! Though now that he thought about it, he remembered his mom never looked at the packages he ordered and he had more than enough in his allowance.

He couldn’t be thinking of doing this though, could he…? But he was. He just had to have it, only if it came with that cute hat though. The thing was, the official league expo hats were never sold, only given out through promotional events. Which if you asked him, was utterly ridiculous he is paying for the product. Why should he have to go to random locations all around the country to get a product he was already paying for?

Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous, as his friend Serena liked to say.

-----

Ash was watching a video series made by diantha about looking good with your pokemon he normally avoided fashion shows but this was Diantha. She’d even invited a young teen model from Unova named Elesa along with her.

The clothing they were showing off, even as out there as it was, looked utterly beautiful. A part of him, quickly suppressed, wondered just what he’d look like in it…

-----

Ash shakes his head leaving his memories. “...sorry about that Pikachu, just got a little bit lost in thought for a moment there. Memories, you know?”

As he walked past the mirror, his fist clenched. He’d been told by more than one girl he was rather handsome and he hated it every time. The tightness got worse, and he felt like punching the mirror.

Just what was wrong with him?

Ash, with his stuffed backpack, looked up at his house and smiled sadly. “Well gonna miss this place I’ve thought about this day for so long and yet I feel like I’m too much of a coward for not being able to take that first step. Funny isn’t it?

Pikachu rolled her eyes and the little demon’s cheeks sparked.

“Alright, let’s go get you a bite to eat. Maybe then you’ll be actually feeling a bit nicer, and we can start your training.” the naive young trainer said.

The electric mouse let out another “Pika!” which Ash suspected meant ‘don’t bet on it!’

—---

As ever, his mom was at home behind the counter, with her old Meowscarada waiting tables. “Hello and welcome to Pallet House your one stop hop for all things breakfast, lunch, dinner and even good old snacking will this be for here or to go?”

She then pulled her son into a hug.

“Oh Ashy!”

“Mooooooooooom, gerroff me!”

Pikachu let out a happy little ‘cha!’ as her idiot’s mom reached down to scratch her cheeks.

“Uh, mom, I’d be careful, she doesn’t…”

To Ash’s stunned silence, his mom picked up the electric devil without incident. “What a cutie you are! I bet you're hungry aren't you, yes you are! Now you just wait right here! I’ll get you something to eat, just a second. I’ll be back in a flash!”

She turns to her other Pokemon, “Mimey, better start stirring up those Aguav berries!”

Now Ash didn’t quite know how, but his mom always had this strange sixth sense about what type of berries a Pokemon liked. And while she was cooking, Pikachu spotted a bottle of ketchup on a table and she let out a little ‘Pika!’ seeing the sauce of the gods themselves.

As she slashed open the ketchup bottle, she noticed an old plaque on the back of the wall.

“Like it, little buddy?” Ash said. “All of those, all of those are mom’s. She’s always been my idol, along with Cynthia. All of those badges, she won by herself. Her, Meowscarada and Mimey.”

Delia came back, and saw Pikachu looking at the badges. “Oh, yeah, those. I challenged the league myself, I wasn’t much older than Ashy. Sadly, I got knocked out in the first round of the Indigo Plateau, and then when my mom got too sick to run this place…”

She sighed, even as her Deerling nuzzled against her leg.

“...and with my husband off traveling the world, I just guess I never got around to trying again…” Deila said, sadly.

Ash, he’d heard this story a few times before and he hated his father. Part of him wanted to take the gym challenge, not just to one day challenge Cynthia and keep his mom’s dream alive but to meet his father and punch him square in the face.

“So sweetie are you gonna give this little cutie a name?” Deila asked, looking at Pikachu, who had drained the ketchup bottle dry. Nearby, his mom’s Chansey was looking concerned and wondering if she should go get another bottle.

Ash facepalmed. “Yeah, you’re right! I do! How about, uh Shocker cus you like to shock me so much!” Pikachu let a few warning sparks fly, even as Ash snapped his fingers. “Uh, ok that was bad uh let me think hmmm ketchup cus you love ketchup!”

“Chu…”

“How about Elesa, after the famous gym leader!”

“CHU!” the little devil said, refusing to be named after a stupid human.

Ash grinned. “I know, I’ve got it and it’s perfect, you'll love it! BUMBLEBEE! See it's the name of this cool robot guy from a cartoon i watched as a kid well technically he was a guy but its gender neutral so it’s-"

“PIKACHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!” the mouse said, lettinng the lightning fly.

Ash lay on the floor, the hatted boy twitching. “...Or not. I think I'll wait a bit to name you…”

Deila smiled at her son. “Oh I remember when me and Xavier fought like that but we became best friends eventually but sweetie you should give your pokemon a name that fits them not just whatever pops into your head.”

Xavier was an old Xatu, a gift from Ash's grandma to his mother. Sadly, he’d never gotten a chance to meet his grandma as she’d passed away from old age before he’d been born.

“Don’t worry,” Deila said. “I’m sure, with time you and Pikachu will get along just fine! Oak’s never made a mistake before!”

Though Ash definitely took the rubber gloves she handed him anyway.

“Oh, I’m going to miss you so much!” his mom said, as she hugged him close. “It’s going to just not be the same without you around!”

“Don’t cry Mom, you’re going to make me cry!” Ash said, trying to break away.

“You’re right, this is a happy moment! My little boy-” Ash tried to ignore the pang of wrongness he felt at his(?) mom’s words. “-all grown up and on his first journey! And don’t forget to change your underwear every day!”

“Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooommmm!”

-----

As the rambunctious teen and ‘his’ stubborn mouse walked off Delia smiled and mused to herself: “something tells me I won't be having a son when I next see my child but a daughter instead. Honestly, that girl. I mean, who does she think is washing and folding the clothes she keeps in that box under her bed? Santa’s Jynxes?”

Meanwhile, a few miles ahead…

“Okay Pikachu, you gotta work with me buddy… What do you need? More berries, more ketchup? Do you want me to accept you as my new lady and master? …no wait, that’s Meowths, just tell me what it is you needd for you to listen to me!”

The stubborn rodent, sitting on a rock taps her foot thinking then grins the pleading teen looking at her waiting excitedly for a response. As she is motioned forward Ash leans in next to the electric rat who then screams at the top of her lungs into Ash's ear: “PIKACHU”

She then proceeded to shock her and laugh at the dumb teen twitching on the ground beneath her.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, storms forecast for later. The fried teen bolted upwards, glaring at the little rat having finally had enough of her antics.

“THAT’S IT! SCREW YOU I'LL FIND A DIFFERENT POKEMON” He looked around in anger and spots a little bird minding its own business pecking away at some seeds. “I’ll catch this one without your help! Here I come, Pidgey!”

He tossed a pokeball at it and it was sucked in. However, the little bird broke out almost instantly and turned to glare at Ash who swallowed now recognizing the Pokemon for what it was.

“You’re… you’re not a pidgey, you’re a…” he gulped. “A spearow.”

Suddenly he remembered something else, that Route 1 was infamous for a certain flock. And when one Spearow let out a war cry, the rest came to its defense.

Suddenly Ash felt very stupid.

The Spearow was missing its right eye, instead there was a cross shaped scar over where its eye used to be. The Spearow let out a war cry, squawking as it flew towards Ash scratching at his face with its talons.

Off to the side, a certain electric Pokemon was laughing her ass off.

Ash, guarding his face with his sleeve-covered arms, threw a punch at the Spearow. It flew away, the punch missing before Ash grabbed it in his hands.

“HAHAHA CAUGHT YOU!” The Spearow, now well and truly pissed off, bit Ash with its sharp beak. “WHY YOU ILL SHOW YOU!”

So Ash bit it right back.

Pikachu, for her part, was staring in stunned silence at the sheer outright nerve of this girl. Nobody attacked a Spearow, risking it calling its flock. At least, not without a death wish! Did this girl have one? No, she just wanted to prove herself after she’d been so mean to this girl! Pikachu winced, this was her fault so she had to do something about it before this moron got herself killed. Running over to the furious little bird, she tried to calm it down with cries of: “PIKA PIKA PIKA PIKA!”

Now obviously, the Spearow was in no mood to listen to a little rat. The one good eye of the infuriated avion glared at pikachu seemingly glowing red. The now understandably scared mouse pokemon stepped back in terror she knew that look. Some pokemon HATED those who were captured, incredibly jealous of the safety and more importantly strength a trainer can bring a pokemon.

Pikachu swore under her breath as IT finally happened, the thing she’d been dreading. The little bird let out a sharp, and incredibly loud mighty cry of “SPEAROWWWWWWW!”

Then, more Spearow burst out of the trees all glaring daggers at the tiny little thing. Ash realized just how tiny Pikachu actually was, even as they all dive bombed the scared rodent scratching and pecking her.

Ash rose to her feet, bloodied and scarred, and yelled at the Spearow even as a storm broke loose above them. “STOP IT STOP IT I'M THE ONE YOU'RE ANGRY AT! NOW LEAVE HER ALONE!”

They all hit Ash with a combined Gust attack, sending him flying into a tree before resuming their assault on his pokemon. His Pokemon, who he had to help even if it killed him.

The bruised and battered teen bursts to his feet diving into the swarm and grabbing her partner, her starter, the one who is meant to be by her side forever. Bursting forward and running the swarm of claws and beaks following constantly attacking every step of the way his back pack starting to rip.

He was bleeding, his face covered in scars and his whole body was aching in pain. He’d blocked all of it out, his mind focused only on escaping darting through the trees, everything a blur of brown and green, never noticing the pain of his heart pounding in his chest every step he takes more ache-anducing than the last.

—-

Elsewhere in the forest a young woman dressed in a yellow and red kimono was studying a flower. The gym leader, a 17 year old stood a rather modest 5 foot 3. Erika had always been a very traditional young woman, and had come out to pick some rare flowers for her perfume. Next to her, leaning against a tree was an old fashioned bike, a gift from her late mother.

Suddenly, she heard a noise coming from the nearby forest and that was all the warning she got before she was thrown to the ground as a boy rushed by.

“Um, excuse me…” Erika said, about to lecture the boy before she saw why she was running.

“Oh no…” Erika said, seeing the rather furious Spearow flock right behind him. The boy’s backpack had ripped open from the bottom with everything spilling out. The boy hadn’t even noticed, and instead jumped onto her bike, pedaling off saying: “sorry I'll bring it back thank you!”

“Why, I never!”

She started to work herself into a rant, but sighed at how pointless that was. The boy and her beloved bike are long gone. Erika then noticed what had exactly been in the bag. “Wait a minute these are the Leafgreen line for young girls…. Hmmm could that boy actually…..”

Her eyes widened, remembering the Spearow and pulling out a Pokeball, enlarging it in her hand. “...She’s going to need my help, and how!”

-----

The Spearow had cornered Ash, at the edge of a cliff and the lead Spearow dive-bombed Ash. Even as the rain poured down, he wondered if he was going to die. That didn’t matter, he supposed, not as long as Pikachu was safe.

Putting himself between Pikachu and the angry flock, he made a declaration which would forever change his life. “Please I’m the one you want, just don't hurt her! Listen up Spearow, my name is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. I always wanted to be the best trainer in the world but I'll gladly trade my life to protect her. It's my fault this is happening to begin with, I started this so take my life instead! Just… LEAVE HER ALONE!”

The Pikachu stood in stunned disbelief, this idiot… No, her trainer was trying to save her life. She didn’t deserve him. What she did next, well it could only be called pure instinct, mustering up all of the strength she still had left, summoning all of the ozone in the atmosphere and…

Letting it fly.

A golden bolt of electricity ripped through the skies, striking the whole flock as a thunderclap broke the silence.

Pikachu smiled weakly, and felt unconsciousness reach up to grab her.

—----

Ash was crying as he held his Pikachu in his arms, saying: “No no no, I was supposed to die, not you!”

“Hey hey its ok its ok let me see her” Ash looked up to see the girl who’s bike he’d stolen. “Let’s get you patched up then we can get her to a pokecenter you won't do her any good if you die first.”

Erika looked at the unconcious flock, and sighed when she saw her now barbecued bike.

“Oh well, can’t be helped I suppose…” she said, before looking at Ash and then at the Spearow. “They’re going to need medical aid as well, because they’ll remember you and hate you even more if they’re left to heal by themselves. They’ll remember trainers, and equate them with only pain if you just leave them here.”

Ash winced, remembering a story about a nest of Zubats in Mount Moon that he’d heard from Professor Oak. After so many beatings, they attacked trainers even driving one insane from the constant swarmings.

Digging into his pack, he noted the bitter irony of having to use up all of his Pokeballs on the first day. His words to Oak had really come back to haunt him, hadn’t they?

Actually, come to think of it, wasn’t this girl a little familiar now that he thought of it? Then it hit him.

“...great, I mugged a gym leader on my first day as a trainer… If I don’t die from the Spearow, she’ll kill me! She’ll probably kill me anyways, after raising my stupid ass from the grave.

Lobbing Pokeball after Pokeball, he watched all but five vanish and winced. Professor Oak was probably going to be shocked, though probably not the pleasantly kind of shocked.

“Uh thank you Miss Erika,” Ash said, finally remembering his manners after a little voice in the back of his mind said to use them. It sounded like his mom, actually.

Erika, to his shock, smiled sweetly at him.

“It’s ok now then please sit still while I patch you up,” Erika said, tending to his wounds with a wilderness survival kits “I don't mean to pry but your backpack, it ripped open and…”

Erika handed him the box. As he stared in horror, a pit of dread formed in his stomach. His crime had been exposed and to a gym leader at that! He was so doomed, there was no getting out of this and-”

Erika giggled, and gave him another smile. This one was one of understanding, and what’s more, actual sympathy. “It’s alright, I understand.”

“Understand what?”

“You’re not the first person who likes to dress up like a girl, and I’m not going to turn you in. Don’t worry. It’s not a crime, not here at least,” Erika said and Ash went red realizing he’d rambled all of this aloud.

“Y-yes its mine I admit it, I like to dress like a girl and I know it’s wrong but every time I put on boy clothes it feels like-”

“Like you’re putting on shoes a size too small?” Erika asked, gently placing a hand on his cheek. “There is nothing wrong with any of that, nothing at all. I’d like to ask you a few more questions, but we really should get to Viridian.”

“R-Right…” Ash said, looking at Pikachu. “Hold on little buddy… I promise, I’ll save you. I promise…”

He didn’t know why, but somehow he felt right here, right now that the winds of destiny were changing for the better.

He heard a shriek, and looked up to see a white feathered dragon flying across the now clearing skies. Somehow, he knew he was right.

Somehow, he knew everything, from here on in, would change for him and for Pikachu.

—-

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter me and Brick worked hard on this and will have the 2nd chapter out soon

Next time ashley fully comes to terms with who she is realizes she fried Erika’s bike and meets a dorkasterdly trio.

(Brick’s notes: I’m mostly just doing the grammar edits for now, all of this stuff came out of my big sister’s heads. I tweaked lines and the like, but most of this is her brain at work)

Chapter Text

It was a quiet and unusually uneventful night in the Viridian city pokemon center. One Doctor Victoria Joy, is enjoying reading a trashy romance novel. Her eyes widened, seeing how spicy it was getting and she giggled to herself. She allowed her mind to wander, the image of her girlfriend handcuffing her to the bed instead making her let out a sigh of desire.

“...I wonder if she’s off work yet…” Victoria mused to herself. “...I should really call the station, it’s been way too long since…”

She smacked herself, she had to be on call at all times! She couldn’t let herself be so unprofessional, even when it came to matters of the heart! Her Chansy was taking a quick break, fast asleep on a nearby chair, letting out cute little snores.

Suddenly, she heard the loud roar of a motorbike engine, and saw the local Officer Jenny burst in through the doors. 

“Speak of the devil and she shall appear… Isn’t that the saying?” Victoria wondered aloud.

Her bike slid along the floor, with a screech sound with two people on the back of the bike. One, she recognized, as Celadon City’s gym leader. The other, well she wasn’t familiar with at all.

“Now really, was all of that necessary?” Victoria asked, raising an eyebrow at her girlfriend. “I know you’re the dramatic type Jane, but-”

“Nurse Joy, we need help!” Erika said, trying not to be sick all over the waiting room floor.

The other trainer, Victoria let out a gasp at the sight of him. His arms and face were covered in cuts, only now just beginning to heal. And in his arms, a very badly battered Pikachu. She rose up to chide the young boy, but stopped at the look on his face.

“PLEASE HELP MY PIKACHU! SHE’S HURT AND IT’S ALL MY FAULT SHE’S HURT BECAUSE I'M A FAILURE!” the boy said, trying not to cry.

In her arms, she took the battered little mouse Pokemon, and sighed knowing it was going to be a long night. Especially when she saw the five other Pokeballs the boy had brought with him. “Alright, I’ll do what I can, but what happened?”

“The Spearow flock,” Jane said, and at this Victoria’s eyes widened. “I’ve been telling the Rangers for years that they’ve been a problem and this is only further proof of it!”

“The Spearow, they need help too,” Erika said. “The rest of them, they’ve been caught as well, and Professor Oak’s taking care of them as best as he can.”

“You mean you caught all of those damn birds?” Jane said, looking relieved.

“No, I didn’t have anything to do with it,” Erika said. “Ash, he caught all of them.”

“Impressive…” Jane said, tipping her hat to the young boy. “Now don’t worry, my girlfriend… she’ll make sure all of them get the best care they can.”

“Please take a seat out in the waiting room,” Victoria said. “I'll do everything I can.”

“Oh my goodness, I left my bike parked at the front desk,” Jane said, sweat-dropping and Victoria giggled.

“Next time, use the driveway~!” the Doctor said, sweetly before rushing off with Pikachu.

She swallowed, wondering if she was making a promise she couldn’t even keep.

-----

Dialing Professor Oak on the center’s videophone, Ash gave a sigh of relief when he picked up.

“Ah, Ash! I’m so glad to hear from you! Can you see me?”

“Well, I can certainly see the back of your head,” Ash snarked, given Oak was facing the wrong way.

“Oops, wrong camera, here just let me…” Oak said, pressing a button and the screen flickered before he was facing the proper way. “I see you made it to Viridian City, you know I had a bet going on with Gary that you wouldn’t catch a single Pokemon and now I’m several hundred Pokedollars richer because look at you! You captured that entire flock that’s been plaguing beginning trainers for years!”

“Well, I’m glad you see the bright side,” Ash snarked. “I feel like I messed up my life, how do I start a new account? I used up all of my pokeballs on the first day!”

“You’re in Viridian, you should be able to pick up a whole new set,” Oak said. “And hey, maybe you can capture another flying type or two. There’s nothing wrong with specializing, like look at Falkner in the Johto region. He built his entire career around flying types. There really is no wrong way to be a trainer.”

“I suppose…” Ash sighed. “It’s just that right now, Pikachu’s in the emergency room and I feel like I’m doing all of this all wrong.”

“Now I’ll say this, and I know your mother would say the same, but everyone stumbles and falls at first. It’s how you pick yourself out of the dirt that matters.”

Ash smiled weakly, feeling a little better. “Thanks Professor…”

“Anytime Ash,” Oak said. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing just fine.”

Now if only he could believe that. Ash, for his part, was a nervous wreck. Once he’d hung up the phone, he’d started pacing back and forth.

Erika frowned. “You know, if you keep pacing back and forth like that you’ll just dig a hole in the floor and I doubt you have the money to fix it.”

Despite himself, Ash managed a smile at the joke. Gently sitting down, he nodded and let out a sigh.

“Don’t worry,” Erika soothed. “Like Doctor Joy said, she’ll give your Pokemon the best of care.”

“But what if…?”

“No what ifs, don’t invite trouble. She knows what she’s doing,” Erika said. “So then why don't you tell me more about… well, you know. How long have you wanted to be a girl?”

Ash stared in shock, completely in disbelief. It was like Erika was just treating this as something completely normal. Like something she saw everyday, actually. “Uh as long as I can remember honestly I just like it, the feeling of the clothing it makes me feel like I'm as strong as Cynthia or beautiful as Diantha…” he trailed off with a wistful sigh.

Erika smiled, and again nodded in understanding. “I understand, they’re two of the most powerful trainers in the world. I admire them too, they’re an idol for women everywhere. Now Ash, I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to think about it long and hard. How long have you wanted to be a girl?”

“...that’s possible? I… I didn’t even know it was, like I just thought I…”

Erika smiled again, giving a nurturing look to the young 14-year-old. “You’re a fan of Diantha, clearly. Do you remember she was born a boy?”

Ash blinked, a vague memory of a controversy of when he was just a toddler resurfacing. “I… I think so?”

“It’s perfectly normal, while it’s not as common as some idiots say it is, there is a certain percentage of the population who believe they were born in the wrong body. Have you heard of the terms Transgender or Nonbinary before?”

“I… I… but I can’t be a girl… can I? It’s not… Like it’s not supposed to be that way. I was born a boy, and I’m a boy?”

“Boys don’t have breakdowns about their gender, and questioning if they’re really meant to be boys,” Erika said, soothingly, and gently grasping his(?) hands. They were warm, soft. Ash wondered if this was what having a sister was like. “It’s okay to question all of these things, it’s part of growing up.”

He felt lost in his own mind, like he was spiraling downwards. His entire world felt like a dream all of a sudden and the world was  beckoning him to wake up. Reality wanted him to join it, and the entire world was dark even as a light led him forwards. In his(?) soul, he saw it. A plant, nothing more than a wilted bulb closed firmly gently, he kneels before hesitating to even touch it. He knew if he did, everything would change forever.

He wasn’t sure if he even wanted it to. Should he even be thinking about this right now, he wondered. His starter, Pikachu… She was struggling for her life and that’s when he heard it.

“Pika chu pi!” his starter said, walking towards him except he didn’t hear her usual pokespeech. Instead, he heard: “Well, what are you waiting for, you idiot? Are you going to pack your shit together, or are you going to run away from who you really are like a coward? Don’t make me get out of my bed and shock you again!”

He… no, she knew the answer.

“Nah, buddy, I think I finally figured it out.”

She smiled, bumping fists with her partner. Back in reality, she introduced herself.

“Hello, Miss Erika, My name is Ashley Ketchum and I am a girl.”

Ashley felt like crying, it felt like she’d just been born all over again.

Erika pulled the crying girl into a hug, she made a really beautiful young woman actually. “It’s okay, I’m pleased to finally meet the real you. And please, don’t call me Miss. It makes me feel old, I’m only 17 after all!”

Ashley gave a wet snort. “Sorry…”

That’s when the alarm rang, disrupting the tender moment.

“Wait a minute… what the…?” Erika said, looking up before they heard Jane’s voice over a loudspeaker.

“This is an emergency, please keep all of your doors locked and your Pokemon inside their balls. We have detected two members of the dangerous criminal organization Team Rocket within Viridian City’s airspace,” Jane’s voice crackled. “I repeat, this is not a drill, two members of Team Rocket have been detected over our airspace, I repeat keep your doors locked at all time!”

“Team Rocket?” Erika’s eyes widened as she and Ashley looked at one another.

Ash’s heart raced, everyone in Kanto and Johto had heard of the infamous mafia. But he… no she’d -She really had to stop thinking of herself as a boy from now on- never thought she’d run into them on her first day as a trainer!

“We’re going to be alright,” Erika said as massive metal shutters came down locking them inside. Soothingly, reassuringly, she said: “There’s no way they’re getting inside now.”

Ashley started to nod, her nerves starting to relax themselves before her eyes widened.

“LOOK OUT!”

She pulled Erika out of the way even as a pokeball, but much larger fell through the skylight.

“Billy, Explosion!” a female voice called out and smoke filled the room even as alarms blared.

“Who the hell…?” Ashley asked, coughing from the smoke.

“Listen, is that a youthful voice I hear?” the same female voice asked.

“It's speaking to me rather loud and clear!” a male voice joined in. “Now how does it go again…? Oh yes…”

“Prepare for Trouble!”

“And make it double!”

“To protect the world from devastation!” the female voice said as a woman with fiery red hair stepped out of the smoke.

“To unite all peoples within our nation!” her compatriot said, with violet hair framing the sides of his face.

“To denounce the evils of truth and love!” the redhead said, even as her partner in crime threw roses everywhere.

“To extend our reach to the stars above!” the male said, stretching out his arm as if to grasp said stars.

“Jessie!”

“And James!” the duo introduced themselves, even as a Meowth flipped into view.

“Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!” Jessie proclaimed.

“Surrender now, or prepare to fight!” James added.

“Meowth! That's right!” the Meowth spoke, flashing a peace sign.

Ashley blinked, and before she was unable to stop herself, she said: “...so what, are you guys actors or something? Because I think you still need a few more lessons.”

“Excuse you, you little brat, but the motto just has to be done! Truly dashing rogues always announce themselves before a caper!” Jessie said, eyebrow twitching and doing the ‘must control fist of death’ motion.

“Oh wait, I know!” Ashley snarked. “You’re just a couple of fans! The costumes, the motto, they’re all homages! Well, I suppose if you’re going to be weird, just be confident about it.”

“What’s the motto with you, kid?” the Meowth said. “Can’t youse see we’re members of Team Rocket here? Like prepare for trouble, and make it double!”

Being able to respond within seconds to a stupid question, Ashley liked to think, was the sign of a healthy functioning brain.

“There’s no need for you to repeat yourself, I ignored you just fine the first time,” Ashley said. “I know, I don’t need to be so sarcastic but the world has given me plenty to work with and I’d hate to be wasteful.”

To Ashley’s shock, Erika’s eyes lit up. “Oh my a talking Meowth!” 

Rushing up to him, she acted about half her age looking at him with her eyes still shining. Ashley swore there were stars in her eyes. “Please tell me how you are able to talk, no wait can I please hug you?”

The Meowth rubs the back of his head. “Well gosh lady you're makin’ me blush. Well, the how I learned to talk is, well the thing is it’s a long story but sure I can always give a hug to a fan.”

The grass type gym leader squeed and hugged Meowth while his two partners in crime whispered amongst themselves. “...we are never letting him live this one down are we Jessie?”

“Never, and you know it James.” Jessie whispered back.

After a few minutes of the talking Scratch Cat Pokemon basking in the attention of a pretty girl, the Rocket member named Jessie clears her throat. “Nyasu, if you're done showing off and falling in love with another girl, we have business to do! The evil, dirty kind!”

The talking feline let out a nervous laugh. “Uh, now I’m real sorry about this I am but I'm gonna have to tie yas up now thanks for the affection though doll!” He scratched at Erika's face though she rather quickly and gracefully evaded it.

“Ahem yes sorry about that but I'm afraid I can't let you three continue whatever evil scheme it is you have tonight. By the invested authority of the Celadon City gym leader and the Pokemon League, I’m placing you under arrest.”

To emphasize her point, she flashed her trainer card and the Rainbow Badge.

“Oh snap, you didn’t tell me that she’d be here!” Meowth said, backflipping to his partners. “Talk about great intel, youse guys!”

“Whatever, we’ll just nab her Pokemon too!” James said. “Think of the possibilities, oh man the boss will pay us big bucks if we bring him a gym leader’s Pokemon! Imagine, him enjoying the sweet aromas of her Pokemon’s scents while he takes his afternoon siesta!”

“Focus James!” Jessie barked, gently dope slapping her male partner. “Her perfidious poison Pokemon though, they’ll be perfect for dashing charming rogues like us! Now, grab all of them and all of the ones in this Center in the name of Team Rocket!”

“I’m sorry, but I really can’t let you do that! You two are truly twisted and vile people, all of the Pokemon here are sick or injured!” Erika said, gesturing to Ashley. “Ashley, go get Nurse Joy and tell her what’s going on! I’ll handle these clowns! Meadow, let’s go!”

But even as she tossed her Pokeball, Jessie tossed a smaller ball which flew towards a confused Erika.

“Uh thanks for the ball but….” before Erika could finish her sentence, the small metal ball exploded, wrapping her and her Leafeon in a sticky pink goo of some sort.

“Hey what is this gunk?” she struggled to get out of it as the trio just strode forward. “Meadow, try to break free with Razor Leaf!”

The Leafeon let out a yelp and tried to rip herself free, but no such luck.

“Sorry Milady, but we don't have time to play with you tonight. As much as I love a good battle, we just don’t have the time right now. I do have to say though, your kimono is looking very fine. I too enjoy wearing Lokix brand kimonos as they’re always so comfy.” James said. “I apologize for any unnecessary roughness, but we have a job to do. Us dashing rogues have to make ends meet in this economy too you know!”

Erika blinked in confusion, a terrorist complimenting her sense of fashion but smiled just the same.

“HEY, LEAVE MY FRIEND ALONE!” Ashley shouted, and James, being as distracted as he was, didn’t see her coming. He was thrown to the ground, almost as if Ashley was a pro linebacker for a Unova football team.

James moaned in pain. “Now listen here, young man, it's very rude to shove someone while they are distracted. Now I’m a criminal but have no such excuse so could you please conduct yourself properly like a proper young gentleman?”

Ashley growled at him. “I AM NOT A YOUNG MAN! I’M A GIRL!”

James’ eyes widened as he let out a little gasp. “My apologies, I’m sorry truly I am. I didn’t realize, but what would a person of my standing be if I didn’t respect your pronouns? I myself, am genderfluid so you would make a hypocrite out of moi!”

Jessie grabbed her partner by the ear. “Yes, James is truly sorry but they also have work to do! Get her Pokemon as well, before I have to do it myself!”

Ashley blinked, if she got out of this there was another concept she’d have to ask Erika about. “Not on your life! You’re not taking even one Weedle!”

The older woman sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Look i really don’t like hurting kids so would you kindly please move aside? I’m asking you nicely, understand?”

Ashley just kicked her in the shin.

“Why you little BRAT!”

Ashley still wouldn’t let go, grabbing onto Jessie and she had a plan, a very stupid plan but a plan all the same. Biting down onto Jessie’s hand, she said: “I’m not letting you get away!”

Ashley had used Bite, and it was apparently Super Effective.

Jessie’s eyes bulged out of their sockets, even as Erika yelled at Ashley to run. “She bit me! I can’t believe it! The little brat actually bit me, okay no more playing around. I’ll kill her myself!”

She pulled out a Pokeball, and tossed it. “Go get her, Hemlock!”

“Ekaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanns!” the snake let out a cry as he was revealed.

Ashley gulped and ran for it, and she’d never been much of a thinker and more a doer but she knew she was outmatched without a Pokemon to fight back with. So the only thing she could do was run!

She felt the Ekans slam into her, and she clutched her side in pain. Cursing under her breath, she ran towards Victoria’s office.

“Doctor Joy!” she called out, hearing the Ekans slither behind her. “It’s Team Rocket, they’ve busted in!”

“I heard the explosion,” Victoria said, pressing buttons on a computer. “Help me get these pokeballs transferred to the center in Pewter City!

Lining the walls were Pokeballs, and Ashley gasped. There had to be at least a hundred of them!

“I’ll hold off these thugs, you just keep those Pokeballs going!”

“EKKKKKKKKAAAAAAANNNNS!” the Snake Pokémon said as he burst into the room.

“This is a hospital!” Victoria said, pulling out a Pokeball of her own. “It’s a good thing it is too, because you’re going to need it by the time my partner and I are done with you. Let’s go, Paddington! Use Scary Face!”

A massive ursine form filled the room. Ashley gasped to see the big bear roar as it appeared out of Victoria’s thrown Pokeball.

“URSSSSSSAALUNA!” Paddington snarled, and made a terrifying expression.

Jessie’s Ekans was scared stiff, even as Victoria said: “Paddington, slash it with your claws!”

“URSA!” the Peat Pokémon said, striking the snake. Ashley just kept loading in Pokeballs, watching them be transported away with electrical zaps.

“Ugh, what’s taking you so long?” Jessie said, as she and James ran into the room. “James, take care of this nuisance.”

“Alright then, he asked for it! Blight, give him a sludge makeover!” James said, tossing a Pokeball.

“Koffing!” the ball of poison gas said, spewing toxic sludge onto Victoria’s Ursaluna.

The bear roared in pain and staggered, clearly poisoned.

“So what are you going to do now, huh little girl?” Jessie asked. “We’ve got you cornered, and there’s no way you can get all of those Pokeballs out in time. Not before we nab every last one of them, anyways.”

Ashley even as Team Rocket closed in, swallowed, wishing she knew.

----

Ashley slowly rose to her feet, still clutching her side even after a tail whipping from Hemlock.

“I'm getting really tired of getting smacked into things today… ” she groans, gripping her ribs. Her eye twitched and she turned to yell at Jessie. “Hey, you old hag! I guess you’re too afraid to face the world’s greatest Pokemon trainer yourself! Instead, you’re sicking your Pokemon on a doctor instead, like a coward!”

James and Nyasu turned to look at each other, and backed away in unison. Hemlock looked at his trainer, who looked like a volcano ready to explode. And explode, she did.

Jessie lunged at Ashley, attempting to strangle the brat. Ashley kicked her in the stomach, shouting: “Let go of me, you banana-haired witch!”

“HOW YOU DARE INSULT MY BEAUTIFUL HAIR!” Jessie in a pure rage threw a punch at the girl. Ashley just grabbed her by the arm and bit her again on the hand. Jessie's eyes bulged out once more

“Okay, that’s it, let’s see how you like it!” Jessie snapped, biting down on Ashley’s arm. Ashley just kneed her in the stomach.

 “...I thought Pokemon were supposed to be the ones doing the battling, not their trainers. Meowth!” Nyasu snarked.

Ashley pulled on Jessie’s hair, even as they rolled around on the floor trying to clobber one another.

Erika, having finally freed herself from the gunk, walked in having heard all the commotion. Her beloved kimono was still covered in bits and pieces of the sludge. She felt rather furious and wanted to kill the red head but keeping her fury under check prepared to calmly chide the older woman instead. Of course, when she got there, she saw her new friend along with Jessie rolling around on the ground like a pair of children.

She stumbled, gaping and unable to take her eyes off the sight.

“...how old are you two anyways?”

James sweatdropped. “...well, my partner claims she’s 26 but it’s entirely possible she’s lying…”

“...And Ashley’s supposed to be 14…” Erika said.

“Shut up! Team Rocket always puts beauty before duty!” Jessie hissed out, rather like her partner Pokemon. “How dare this sniveling brat insult my beautiful hair!”

“Well, would you like me to insult your face instead?” Ashley snarked, getting in another kick to the side. “Because there’s not much to compliment there either!”

“Now Ashley, a lady always conducts herself with grace and elegance,” Erika said, with her Leafeon by her side.

“Who are you talking to? Me, or Jessie?” Ashley said, before snarking. “Because all I see is an old hag!”

“HOW DARE YOU, YOU LITTLE BRAT! Hemlock, tackle her!”

“I should think not,” Erika said. “Meadow, please use your Energy Ball!”

The Leafeon fired an orb of green energy at the lunging Ekans, knocking it into a wall.

“So a 14-year-old who acts more like she’s 4 and a 26-year-old who acts more like she’s only two.” Erika snarked.

Jessie let out another angry hiss. “Are you saying I’m more immature than this biting brat here?”

“Well, if the shoe fits…” Erika said.

“James, get her!” Jessie snapped.

“Blight, another sludge makeover for the pretty lady!” James said. “Apologies in advance for ruining your kimono, but between facing you and facing Jessie… I’d rather face you.”

“You may find yourself regretting that,” Erika said. “Meadow, return! Ichigo, switch out!”

A locust-like Pokemon, in a lime green color stood in place of the Leafeon.

“Ichigo, Double Kick!” Erika ordered, pointing at the Koffing.

The Lokix leaped into the air, kicking Koffing once sending it flying. Then he pushed himself off the ball of gas, before leaping into another kick smashing the Pokemon into the ground.

“Blind him with Smokescreen!” James said, even as Blight released a cloud of thick heavy smoke. “Now, switch out with Kisame!”

Another pokemon took the field, a tiny little arthropod known as a Wimpod. True to its name, it was shuddering, and shaking and looked rather cowardly in general.

“Kisame, Mud Shot!” James said, the Wimpod spitting out mud from his mouth.

Lokix leaped into the air to dodge the attack, and leaped into a diving kick.

Kisame trembled before switching out with Blight letting it take the kick. Blight slammed into the wall, almost unconscious.

“...why does this always happen?” James asked, hanging his head and sulking.

Jessie had quickly realized that things were going south. Growling out her words, she said: “...okay, fine then… I guess you win this time, you little brats. James, Nyasu, we’re forced to use it. It’s time for Plan R!”

James and the talking Meowth shared a look. “Not Plan R, you know how much I hate that plan! It’s so undignifying for master criminals like us!”

“...oh, so you mean some other members of Team Rocket then?” Ashley snarked.

“SHUT IT BRAT!” Jessie yelled back at her.

“Well, it’s a good thing we’re named Team Rocket, because in a moment we’re probably going to be blasting off!” Nyasu said.

“It’s the only way,” Jessie said, seriously, looking to James’ barely conscious Koffing. “Blight, use Smokescreen in combination with Explosion!”

The Koffing slowly rose up, saying: “Koff, koffing!”

“Everyone, get down!” Victoria said, running into the room.

Ashley and Erika both hit the floor, while Victoria took cover.

The room was covered in smoke and ash as Blight spewed his toxic gasses, and when the dust cleared Team Rocket was gone.

-----

Jane pulled up outside the Pokemon Center, seeing smoke rising from the Pokemon Center.

“Looks like I’m too late to help, but not too late for the fireworks!”

-----

Team Rocket were hidden in an alleyway, panting and sweating.

“I can’t believe that we, members of the great Team Rocket, got defeated by two teenage brats!” Jessie growled. “At least the fake out worked!

“I know, but this is so humiliating! If we tell the boss about thi-”

Jessie grabbed him by the lips. “We are not telling the boss about any of this! We’ll just say that the police department arrived, and we were forced to flee!”

“Still, if that girl Erika is really traveling with that snot-nosed brat, we should do the same,” James said, after Jessie let go. “We should follow, a gym leader’s Pokemon will be extra powerful, and she has a few you can’t even find in this region! That Lokix alone would net us a promotion!”

“James, I can’t believe I’m saying this but you may actually have a good idea within that tiny brain of yours,” Jessie said. “Besides, nobody calls me an old hag and gets away with it! I’m going to steal every one of that Ashley girl’s Pokemon and watch her cry! Maybe tomorrow, we’ll be on top of the heap!”

The threesome laughed, as they formed a plan…

-----

Back in the Pokemon center, our heroes were still coughing. Ashley groaned, crossing her arms. “I cant believe the old hag and the other two got away!”

Erika straightened her kimono. “What's important is we saved all of the Pokemon here. Catching vicious wanted criminals is a job for the police, not us.”

“Yes, she’s quite right,” Joy said before curtsying. “We here in Viridian City are forever in your debt. If there’s anything we can ever do for you, please just ask.”

Ashley grinned, feeling rather proud of herself. “Yeah, well ya know it was nothing but I am pretty awesome right? Did you see how I handed that bitchy old hag?”

Erika took out a paper fan and gently whacked Ashley on the head. “A lady must remain poised and humble at all times. Besides I'm the one who took care of the old hags pokemon.”

“Oh yes, by the way…” Victoria said as an Audino wheeled out Pikachu on a stretcher.

“PIKACHU!” Ashley said, running up to pull her Pokemon into a hug.

“Pika pi!” the mouse said, excitedly.

“Wow, look at you, you look all fresh and recharged!” Ashley said, praisingly. Pikachu shocked her, almost as if on cue. “See? You’re back to your old self again! It doesn’t even hurt this time!”

“...you know, I wonder if I should be concerned about that…” Erika said to herself, as her Leafeon nuzzled into her leg.

The Joy also handed over five other Pokeballs. “And your Spearow are right as rain again as well.”

Ashley took the Pokeballs before smiling at her, still cuddling her beloved Starter. “Thank you so much!”

The doctor smiled back. “It was my pleasure, I became a doctor for this very reason after all.”

“...now I just have to figure out what to do with 25 Spearow…” Ashley said to herself, in thought as she tapped her foot against the tiled floor.

Erika smiled again. “I actually had an idea about that, if I may.”

“Go ahead.”

“You should donate the extras to the PFDT,” she said.

“The PDFT?” Ashley blinked.

Her companion giggled. “It’s a charity. It stands for Pokemon For Disabled Trainers. It helps get Pokemon out to trainers with mobility issues who can’t catch them the regular way.”

Ashley said: “Wow, that’s awesome! Can you help me set that up?”

Erika nodded. “You decide which Spearow you want to keep. Call Professor Oak while I make a few calls to the charity alright?”

Ashley didn’t even have to think about it for even a moment. She knew exactly which one she wanted with her, by her side.

“...you’re okay with this little buddy, right?” Ashley looked towards her Pikachu.

“Pika pi,” the mouse said, as she rolled her eyes. She was clearly saying: “If that little menace tries to act up, I’ll show him just how weak he really is!”

-----

After explaining the situation to Oak, Ashley sat in front of the videophone. She swallowed, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. There was one more call she had to make tonight.

Her fingers hovered over the buttons slowly she hit 2, and even slower she hit 7. Her heart thumped even loudly as she hit 4. She didn’t know if it was just her imagination but the buttons felt like they were getting harder to push. 

She felt short on breath even as she hit another 4. 8, 0. Was it getting hotter in here? Her finger hovered over the final 0, and a part of her just wanted to turn and run.

Pikachu pressed it for her, and Ashley felt like she’d rather face Team Rocket again than come out to her mom.

“Oh hi honey!” her mom said, dressed in a pink bathrobe with her hair done up in a towel. She’d clearly just gotten out of the shower. “You’re in Viridian City already, Ash?”

Ashley flinched at the name.

“You are changing your underwear every day, right?”

Ashley swallowed. Well nothing ventured, nothing gained right? “...actually mom, I do need new underwear. It’s just that… it may not be the kind I normally need?”

“M-M-M-Mom I uh have something to tell you but I’m honestly terrified here,” Ashley said, tears falling down her face. “...Please don’t treat me like some sort of freak, I-I-I…”

“Ash, I could never treat you like a freak. Even if the whole world hated you, I would still love you, son.”

“Mom, I’m not your son. I’m a girl, my name is Ashley Leaf Ketchum and I’m your daughter and I-”

Delia smiled. “I knew all along honey, and I’m so proud of you for blossoming into your real self. Who do you think’s been folding and cleaning your clothes?”

Stunned, Ashley finally broke and fell into sobs. “...you, you know all this time?”

“A mother always knows, dearie. And I’m so happy you chose my mom’s name as your middle name!”

“So you’re the one who’s been cleaning my girl clothes?”

Deila giggled. “Well it certainly wasn’t Mimey doing it. Young lady you’re right you do need new underwear and not just that, you’re going to need twice as much! So now I’ll get to nag twice as much now!”

Ashley just moaned even as Erika walked up behind her. “Hello Ms Ketchum, I’m Erika from Celadon City. Your daughter, she’s had a bit of an exciting day, especially for her first day as a trainer!”

As Erika recapped, Ashley took the time to compose herself a bit more. Her mother listened to every word, and had this to say: “Young lady you better have brushed your teeth again after biting that evil witch. I don’t want you to get sick, and more importantly you stole your new friend's bike and even more importantly you’ve yet to even apologize for it.”

Ashley let out a loud ‘gaaaaaaaaaaah!’ sound. “Your right, yes sorry Mom sorry Erika! I’ll find a way to replace the bike, I don’t know how but I will.

Erika thought back to her sick mother giving her the bike and shook her head. “It’s fine, after all… it was only a bike in the end…. What’s more important is Pikachu being okay.”

-----

Ashley, in her room, stared herself in the mirror as she dressed herself. She’d looked herself in the mirror plenty of times before, but never like this.

First she pulled on the skirt, and giggled as she spun in place. Pulling on her tank top, she smiled sadly. She wished she had the hat to go with it, but oh well. Looking at her old baseball cap, she said: “New clothes… new me.”

Even if she still felt a little wrong, it felt like she was moving in the right direction now. “Hello world, my name’s Ashley Ketchum.”

Erika gently knocked on the door, and Ashley let her in. Erika handed her a new shoulder bag, before saying: “You look very beautiful, Ashley.”

And Ashley beamed.

“I notice you don’t have the hat to complete the outfit,” Erika said. “Why not?”

Ashley just let out a groan at the reminder. 

“Because GF designs are super dumb with how they handle this stuff. You can buy the full outfit but how they handle the hat…” she sighed. “You had to go to special events to get the damn thing. You had to smell perfume and I hate perfume because it stinks and… ohhhhhhhh.”

She trailed off, suddenly remembering just who she was talking to. And just what Erika did for a living, besides battling trainers. Her mom had some of Erika’s perfume around the house!

Erika sighed. “It’s fine, although I think we should get to bed. We’ve had quite the exciting day, after all!”

Ash wanted to argue but yawned and decided to concede the point. She felt wiped now that she thought about it.

As she tucked herself into bed in a guest room, she smiled and turned to Pikachu. “You know, I think I finally have a good name for you, eh little buddy? Wanna hear it?”

“Pika-pi?” Pikachu asked, bracing herself.

“Hope. Because that’s what you gave me.”

“Cha…” the newly christened Hope said, happily. 

The next morning, the threesome were deep within the tall oaks and pines of Viridian Forest.

Erika, for her part, honestly didn’t intend to stay with Ashley for long as she really had to check up on her store back in Celadon. But then again, she thought with a fond smile, this girl had a way of growing on you. She was like an ivy vine that way.

Maybe she’d stick around, plus if she was being honest Ashley could use all the help she could get!

That’s when they heard it, the ruffle of grass ahead of them. A gorgeous butterfly-like Pokemon with vibrant violet wings rose up out of the tall grasses and flowers, letting out a cry.

“Viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” the Pokemon said, and Ashley grinned. She’d picked up some new Pokeballs before they’d left Viridian and now was the perfect time to test them out!

Enlarging a Net Ball, she tossed it and a net launched out at the Pokemon…

Chapter Text

“C’mon…”

Ashley watched, tapping her boots against the grass and fighting the urge to anxiously bite her fingernails.

In front of her, the net ball shook, rocking in place. The encounter with Vivillon was her first real wild pokemon sighting since the Spearow onslaught. 

“Come on…” she whispered, pleading to Arceus Himself that she captured this Pokemon. The ball shook once more, the Pokemon inside clearly trying to get out.

“Ashley… you really should have used Hope to shock that Vivillon,” Erika said. “A weak, or better yet unconscious Pokemon is far easier to capture.”

“I know, I know! But,” Ashley bit her fingernails, ignoring the Look that her traveling companion gave her. “But Vivillon, I just saw it and I wanted, no I needed to capture her right now! I threw the ball without thinking!”

“Well, it’s going to be really embarrassing if it breaks out,” Erika said. “I’m going to try to avoid saying ‘I told you so’ but I make no promises.”

“Oh ye of little faith,” Ashley said, a little bit smugly. “Just watch, you’ll eat your words!”

“We’ll see…” Erika replied.

And then the poke ball shook a third time, before letting out a little ‘ding’ marking a successful capture.

“ALRIGHT!” Ashley said, raising the ball and her newest capture up high. Flashing a peace sign, she said: “I caught a Vivillon!”

“Pi-Pikachu!” Hope chorused.

“Well then, well done,” Erika said with a nod. “Just don’t get too cocky, it’s almost never that easy.”

“Hah, we’ll see who has the last laugh. This is Viridian Forest, there’s so many Pokemon here I’ll go on a catching spree! Maybe a Scyther, or a Beedrill! Maybe even a Butterfree!”

“Well just be careful, you may end up with more Pokemon than you can reasonably train,” Erika said. 

“Ultimate Pokemon Master, remember?” Ashley replied, a little smugly.

“The jury is still out on that,” Erika said.

“Well I have a Vivillon which isn't even native to Kanto! I think it sensed my upcoming greatness and flew all of the way here just so I could capture it!” Ashley bragged before being bopped on the head by Erika’s paper fan.

“Actually the Vivillon migration is happening around this time of year. The poor thing probably got caught in a wind storm and blown off course and landed here,” Erika said. “Actually, it might have been for the best that you caught it. Otherwise it could have become a nuisance at best and at worst an invasive species. That’d mean more work for the Pokemon Rangers.”

“Well whatever, I have a rare Pokemon,” Ashley said before snickering. “I bet Gary hasn’t even caught one yet, I bet he’s already ran home to his sister crying!”

“Gary?” Erika asked.

“Professor Oak’s grandson,” Ashley sighed, hanging her head. “He’s always thought he’s better for me just because of who his grandpa is!”

“Ah, so a typical teenage boy then,” Erika said before nodding. “All the same, it’s hardly proper for a lady to brag so much.”

“Pi, Pikachu, Pi…” Hope sighed.

“I believe now would be a good time to break for lunch. I will handle making lunch today. You can make dinner tonight, and seeing as how your mother owns a restaurant I am looking forward to seeing how much of her skill passed to you,” Erika said, sweetly.

Ashley swallowed, remembering the last and only time she’d helped her mother in the kitchen. “Hehe, yeah, uh, yeah that sounds good…”

Erika begins taking supplies out of her travel pack. Carefully, she sat out a beautiful blanket on the ground. 

“Onigiri, maybe?” 

“Oni-what?” Ashley asked.

“Rice balls.”

“Oh! Those! I always thought they were jelly donuts,” Ashley blinked and Erika face-faulted.

“Watch the camp,” Erika said. “And when I say watch the camp, I don’t mean go off and hunt for forest Pokemon. I don’t want to have to come find you lost in the forest or under attack by angry Beedrill.”

“You say that like it’s a certain thing.”

“You, judging by the Spearow and Team Rocket, are a trouble magnet,” Erika said. “My heart rate’s been through the roof lately, even as adorable as you are. So stay right there and I mean it. I’m going fishing, I’m going to be making Unagi and for that I need ingredients.”

Erika walked to the nearest river, pulling out a fishing rod and sitting on a stump. Now all she needed to do was wait, and see if she got a bite. Of course, she supposed that relied on if anything was biting today.

“Rafflesia, use Sweet Scent please my darling,” she said, calling out her Gloom. “Draw a Huntail in if you will for me, okay?”

“Glooommmm…” her precious flower Pokemon said, as she released a sweet enticing scent. Erika smiled, most people thought Gloom was the worst smelling Pokemon in the world. That the flower smelled like a rotting corpse in the sun. But what they didn’t know was Gloom was her trade secret, with Rafflesia being a key ingredient in her many perfumes.

“I suppose if I don’t draw in a Huntail, I have other options,” Erika mused aloud as she sat and waited for a bite. “A Tangela would make some nice noodles, or Exeggcute could be boiled up as an omelet. And like every river, there’s likely to be Magikarp that I could fry up…”

Thing was, she couldn’t help but notice the forest smelled just slightly off today. As someone who made perfume, her nose had been trained to be extra sensitive. Maybe it was just her imagination betting the better of her, but she had a bad feeling about this. It only grew deeper when she saw a flock of Pidgeotto and Pidgey flying above her. One broke off from its flock, flying in another direction with an angry cry. But most of them, it was like they wanted to get out of the forest as fast as they could.

“Rafflesia, return,” Erika said, that pit in her stomach getting deeper with every passing second. “Something’s wrong, I just know it. Normally, the more curious forest Pokemon would have wandered in for a snack.”

Hurrying back to her traveling companion, she hoped she was wrong and it was just her imagination getting the better of her.

“I swear, if that girl has wandered off I’m going to be hitting her with my fan again…” she muttered to herself.

-----

“I feel like I’m dying here…” Ashley said aloud, as her tummy rumbled. 

“Pi-Pika…” Hope said, and Ashley turned to see the Pikachu hugging her trusty ketchup bottle.

“...Gimme that, I’m starving!” Ashley said, probably about to receive another Thunder Shock. Thankfully, Erika showed up about then to save her.

“I'm gone for half an hour and you're starving to death and resorting to theft. Just wait for a moment longer and we can eat. I just need to prepare the food,” Erika said, holding up a struggling Huntail.

As Erika prepared the food, she’d brought out a small portable radio. “And now viewers, it’s a good time to catch up on current events. Over to you, Cat!”

“Hello this is Cat Grant here with Cat’s Eye News. Just last night, a Team Rocket attack at the Viridian City Pokemon Center was foiled by a rookie trainer just out of Pallet Town named Ashley Ketchum along with Celadon City’s own Erika Tachibana.”

“Hear that Erika, we’re famous!” Ashley grinned, nudging her with her elbow. 

Erika just sighed, she’d rather not have the attention of Team Rocket.

“And the Saint Anne has recently completed its repairs and will be giving out free tickets to lucky trainers. More information to follow. In other news, Cinnabar gym leader Blaine had a fall recently but was otherwise fine saying he is not gonna let his advanced age slow him down. And now for a riddle about… No I’m not reading this stupid riddle live on the air when we’ve got more important news to get to.

“Like Celebrities! Dragon Master Lance himself has recently been spotted in Cerulean City on vacation, although he asked for people not to bother him. I can’t blame him though, not after dealing with two warring wannabe Gyms in Dark City! Ah, classic Lance, always one to turn down a photo op!”

Ashley sat straight up at that. “Wow, Lance himself! If we hurry we can meet him!”

Erika frowned, she never liked Lance. Something about him has always bothered her though she could never place why she felt so uneasy around the man. In her opinion, there’d always been something off about him. She couldn’t stomach most men, but Lance made her want to turn and run. Maybe it was the fact he had such powerful Dragon-types, including Salamence and Gyarados. It said something about his abilities as a trainer if he could tame even them. Although it still made Erika feel little better about the frankly cold and stern man.

“No, I doubt it. We’re still deep in Viridian City and you have to battle Brock when we get to Pewter. It’s likely by the time we finally arrive at Cerulean Gym he’ll be long gone.”

Ashley pouted. “Damn it meeting any champion would be fantastic, like okay well it's fine a great trainer like me will meet all of the Champions! Why I bet you 1000 Pokedollars that I'll encounter Cynthia herself in Gringy City!”

Erika groaned, the farther she stayed away from that polluted nightmare the better. As she prepared the food, Erika said a prayer to Arceus apologizing for sacrificing this Pokemon for sustenance.

“Alright, eat up everyone!” Erika said, releasing her Pokemon.  “Itadakimasu!”

Ashley soon followed with her own thank you, repeating the phrase. “Itadakimasu!”

Erika smiled at her companion’s manners, at least she knew how to thank the gods for the food they’d blessed her with.

Her sweet Leafeon patiently sat at a bowl waiting for her share. Her Gloom just lazily sat in front of her bowl, and Erika wondered if Rafflesia had fallen asleep at the dinner table.

Ichigo meanwhile, threw kicks at a nearby rock while he waited.

Ashley let out her own Pokemon, with Hope diving into her precious ketchup. Shocking open the bottle, Hope was covered in the red substance and let out a happy ‘cha!’ of delight.

Her Spearow on the other hand, just looked disgusted by the fact that he had a trainer now. He, when given a food bowl, flatout refused it. He turned his head away and shoved the bowl away with his talons.

Vivillon meanwhile fluttered about shyly, rather timid about the whole affair actually.

Erika, as she passed out the food, gently smacked the Spearow with her paper fan. Sweetly, she gently lectured the tiny bird saying: “Now, be nice to Ashley. She’s only making sure you get a proper meal. You can’t battle other Pokemon if you don’t keep up your strength, correct?”

Reluctantly, Spearow conceded Erika’s point and began to eat, pecking away at the meat and tearing into it with his claws.

As Erika sat down some berries for Vivillon she paused and her eyes hardened, narrowing in anger. Her heart nearly stopped in her chest as she rubbed ash off the Scale Pokemon’s wings.

“What is it? Is Vivillon…” Ashley swallowed worriedly and Erika blinked back tears reminding herself that Ashley was still only a child. “...is she, like okay?”

“She’ll be okay, but I found a suspicious amount of soot on her wings.”

“Did she encounter a Koffing, or something? That could be why. They do live in caves and there’s a few of those around here.”

“No, a Pokemon isn’t at fault here…” Erika said, with an angry growl in her voice. “This is the work of a human. Humans did this.”

“Wait, a human did this? That’s so cool, I didn’t know humans could use Pokemon attacks!”

“NO! HUMANS CAN’T USE-” Erika shouted before taking a deep breath to calm herself. “I apologize for losing my composure, but this sickens me. Something’s wrong in this forest, can’t you tell?”

“...now that you mention it, I haven’t seen a single Pokemon since we started walking through this place…” Ashley paused for thought. “But this is Viridian Forest! There’s miles of wilderness! It’s not just, like empty!”

“Correct, this is a protected forest for the unique species of bug and grass types that can be found here,” Erika said. “So for so few Pokemon apart from our own not to be found… Yes, something’s deeply wrong here and it disturbs me.”

“Spearow, spear!” Ashley’s Spearow called out, in apparent fright. 

“What’s with…” Ashley said before sniffing the air. “...you smell that? It smells like…”

“Smoke,” Erika said, looking up to see a tall pillar of smoke rising up from somewhere deeper in the forest.

“A forest fire?” Ashley said in alarm, reaching for her Pokedex. “I’ll call the local fire department!”

“If this was a forest fire, they would have already noticed from a watchtower. And the smoke, there’s not enough for it to be a wildfire,” Erika said, in thought. “Combine that with the soot I found on Vivillon’s wings… No, I know exactly what’s going on here.”

She took a deep breath to hold back the rising tide that was her temper.

“Those bas…” she quickly corrected herself, a lady never resorted to that sort of language. “They’re clear-cutting the forest!”

“But it’s supposed to be protected!” Ashley said, eyes widening in shock.

Erika nodded, her eyes narrowing once again. “Exactly.”

“Ashley, do exactly as I say.You and your pokemon wait here, I'm going to investigate,” Erika said, as she started to head off.

“No way in hell I’m going to let you go alone,” Ashley said. “I’m a pokemon trainer, I love Pokemon! I can’t let them be put in danger like this! If I’m going to be a Pokemon master, I-”

“Exactly, you’re a trainer. One who’s only a few days into her journey at that,” Erika said, kindly. “I can’t let you throw yourself into more danger. I’m a Gym Leader. Part of our job is to protect Pokemon from dangerous criminals, and keep them out of harm's way. Their trainers as well. I can’t put you at risk. Your mom would never forgive me.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Ashley said, snapping at her. “But there’s no way in Hell I’m letting you go off alone like that!”

“I won’t be alone, I have my Pokemon,” Erika said.

“If you think just three Pokemon are going to be enough, you’ve got another thing coming! Between the two of us, we have six Pokemon!” Ashley said. “Three plus three, equals eight right? Plus, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you out of my sight!”

Her eyes watered.

“...you’re the first friend I’ve had in a…” she wiped her eyes. “...Well, a while actually.”

Erika blinked, stunned at the ferocity from Ashley. Then, she smiled and chuckled. She’d forgotten how much she loved Pokemon, and Ashley despite her flaws truly loved them. Looking at her Pikachu, she knew the two were of one mind.

“Alright then, your questionable math skills aside…” Erika sucked in a breath. “You’re absolutely right. The more, the merrier in this situation. But the moment things get too dangerous, I want you to head for Pewter City as fast as you can. Find the Officer Jenny stationed there, and tell her what’s going on, understand? I want you to listen to me, okay Ashley?”

Her hands were on Ashley’s shoulders, as she looked her dead in the eyes daring her to try and argue.

Ashley nodded. “Understood. Now let’s go save some Pokemon!”

-----

As the duo raced through the forest, they came across It. Their eyes widened, seeing the Machine in front of them, belching smoke and fire like a demon from Hell itself.

“...by the Reverse World…” Erika swore quietly. “What in Giratina’s name is that thing?”

The Machine was massive, made up of a bright orange steel. Its underbelly was bone white, and it had a massive crab claw for its right arm with a huge chainsaw substituting for its left. On its back was a huge container with trees being ripped up out of the ground and tossed in the back.

The most frightening thing was, besides how coldly methodical the machine was, was how silently it moved through the forest. Gathered around it were men, dressed in logging gear and cutting apart more trees.

“TIMBER!” one of the men yelled, as a tree came crashing down right in front of the duo nearly squashing them. 

“Machoke!” said the bodybuilder of a Pokemon by his side, tossing the tree into the back of the machine. Nearby, a Kingler used one of its massive claws to chop down another tree with Crab Hammer.

The roughnecks, and their Pokemon were like an army of muscle and power clearing a path through the woods. Their machine continued to belch smoke, and cough up soot from massive pipes erupting from under the sides.

Erika stared in horror at the destruction, looking at all of the devastation all around her. All caused by that mechanical monstrosity. Her grip on Rafflesia’s Pokeball tightened so much that it almost cracked in half.

“Lot of open space, plenty of room for a battle if… no when it comes to that,” Erika thought to herself, observing the sight in front of her. “Assessing the situation… Ok, let’s see here. There are about 12 of them down here on the ground. 2, no possibly 3 up in the cockpit can't be sure without getting a closer look.  They’re all wearing masks, likely to protect themselves from sawdust so using sleep powder is out. And there goes Ashley charging in, thatta girl… Wait a second. Ashley!”

Erika groaned to herself, rubbing her forehead with a hand.

“Damn it girl, I told you to wait and stay behind me! …oh, who am I kidding, she never would have listened to me anyways!” Erika said to herself, shaking her head.

Ashley had rushed forward, pointing and shouting angrily at a particular mountain of a man.

“What do you think you’re doing! You can’t do this! What about all of the Pokemon who live here in the forest!”

The man was tall, burly wearing a flannel shirt about two sizes too small for him. A long beard, more like moss growing on stone fell down over his open shirt. A yellow hardhat sat upon his head.

“What the hell are you doing here, you’re just a kid! …wait, are the Rangers actually taking in recruits as young as you, boy?”

“My name isn’t Boy. I’m not even a boy at all. My name is Ashley Leaf Ketchum, and I can’t let you do this! This forest, it’s protected! You’re breaking the law!”

The lumberjack sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Look, kid, I don’t really want to have to beat up a little girl but orders are orders. We’re getting paid to clear away this forest for new construction, so… Machoke, please, move her aside before she gets hurt.”

The man’s burly Machoke, burlier than even him, stepped forwards but Ashley? To her credit, she refused to budge even one inch.

“I don’t care what kind of crappy orders you have, I’m not letting you do this. I’m not just going to stand by and watch as you guys wreck this forest, and so many Pokemon’s homes!”

“Machoke, tie her up. It’s for her own safety,” the lumberjack said.

“Machoke,” the muscle-covered Pokemon said, albeit reluctantly.

“Hope, Thunder Shock!” Ashley called out, as her Pikachu leaped off her shoulder with an angry cry. The Machoke let out a cry of pain.

“Come on, you’re going to let a little rat stop you? Machoke, use Karate Chop!”

“Machoke….” the Pokemon said, striking at Hope with his hand.

“Quickly, jump up its arm, and grab onto its head!” Ashley said, and her Pikachu blinked in confusion for a moment before shrugging.

Running up the burly Pokemon’s arms, she held on as tight as she could. All the while, the Machoke tried to throw the little mouse off.

“Now stick your tail inside it’s mouth, and let him have it!”

Hope stared, not quite sure she’d heard right before realizing that yes, she had. Shoving her heart-shaped tail inside the Machoke’s mouth, she let out a cry of “PIIIIIIIKKKKKKAAAAACHHHHUUUU!”

The roughneck groaned, before pulling out two more Pokeballs. “Timburr, Kingler, get in there! Help Machoke1 out!”

Ashley stepped back as the two Pokemon appeared, the Timburr spinning its wooden staff dangerously. The Kingler, meanwhile, snapped at her with his claws. “Hold on, you can’t use three Pokemon at once! That’s-”

“Against the rules?” the lumberjack chuckled. “Kid, what makes you think I even care about the rules? Besides, Triple Battles do exist even if you don’t normally see them here in Kanto. So this, what I’m about to do to your Pokemon is perfectly legal.”

“Well then I guess we don't need to worry about them either! Now, my darling Meadow, use your Energy Ball on that Kingler!” Erika said, as her Eeveelution dashed in, firing off a glowing green orb at the giant enemy crab.

“I told you not to rush in without a plan,” Erika said, quite a few of the roughnecks backing up when they realized who she was.

“Oh shit, that’s the Celadon Gym Leader!” one of them said.

Ashley really wasn’t paying attention to what her mentor was saying, focused on the developing battle in front of her. “Spearow, I choose you! Use Peck on the Timburr! It’s a fighting type, so your attacks should be Super Effective!”

“SPEAAAAAAARRRRROWWWWWW!” her Pokemon said, diving in with his beak glowing.

The Timburr evaded the attack, but the already wounded Machoke stumbled right into it. 

“Ma…” it groaned out before Hope shocked it with another lightning bolt. The fighting-type slumped forwards, unconscious.

The roughneck gritted his teeth, before shouting. “DAMN IT! SAM, JIM GET YOUR HAIRY ASSES OVER HERE AND HELP ME!”

Two more of the loggers rushed over to help. One was a fair woman with red hair and a rather curvy figure. She didn’t look like she belonged on a logging site though Ashley quickly noticed some muscles on her. She tried not to stare for too long.

The other was a small, rather wimpy-looking nerdy type with glasses He had short, balding black hair and was holding onto a clipboard.

“Ugh you meathead my job is to make sure the klawvler is operating smoothly. Really I should be up there in the nice air-conditioned cockpit but no, those nitwits would not let me saying its for the important people. WELL I AM IMPORTANT DAMN IT AND I DON'T DESERVE TO BE TREATED LIKE A COMMON TOOL!”

“...Jack, you’re getting beaten up by a couple of kids,” Sam sighed as she rolled her eyes and put down her axe. “This is just embarrassing.”

“Shut up, or I’m docking your pay!” the lumberjack said

“Okay, finnnnnnneeeeee. Someone didn’t get their coffee this morning,” Sam snarked. “Alright then, let’s go. Koffing 1 and 2, Timburr, Voltorb! Let’s go!”

She sent out two Koffings, the floating gas bags letting out blasts of toxic smog. Her Timburr twirled his bo staff and her Voltorb sparked angrily.

Jim meanwhile, sent out a Magnamite and Porygon.

Jack meanwhile sent out two more Machokes.

Ashley swallowed at the sight before her.

“Heh, want to turn and run kid?” Sam asked. “I don’t blame you. Frankly, beating up on kids was so not on my to-do list today, or ever.”

Erika put a hand on Ashley’s shoulder. “Looks like you’re getting a crash course in Pokemon battling today. I know there’s a lot of them, but in reality… they’re the ones outmatched. Rafflesia, Ichigo! I need your help!”

Ashley nodded, although her early bravado had been considerably shaken by the rapidly worsening situation.

“Come on out Vivillon,” Ashley said as she looked at the timid bug “I'm sorry your first day with me has been, heh, so rough but if we make it through this… I’ll buy you a super size jar of honey when we reach Pewter!”

“Vivi…” she says somberly but understandingly.

The duo’s Pokemon formed a circle around them, as one of the Machokes rushed in. His fist was glowing white with a Mega Punch thrust forwards to Hope. The little mouse leaped to the side, even as Ashley called out: “Spearow, Peck attack now!”

Spearow dived forwards, letting out a warcy when suddenly a thunderbolt from a Voltorb went flying towards him. Hope jumped in, taking the attack for herself, tanking it. She slid backwards in the grass, and gave a sassy grin.

“Pikachu!” Hope said, her whole body crackling with electricity. Spearow made contact with the Machoke’s face, and it stumbled backward from the super-effective move.

“Now, before he can recover! Meadow darling, if you would please trip that one with a Vine Whip! Ichigo, follow up with Agility into a hard Double Kick to his left shoulder!” Erika commanded, staying completely cool despite the situation.

“Leaf!” Meadow said, swiping at the Machoke with her vines. The Machoke stumbled over them, caught off-balance.

Ichigo dashed forwards, the little grasshopper a blur of motion. Leaping forwards, he flipped into a diving kick. The Lokix’s legs glowing white, Jim’s Porygon flew in taking the blow.

“Porygon, Conversion 2!” Jim said, and the Porygon’s type changed to that of Ichigo’s attack rendering it useless.

Sam’s Voltorb did a rolling tackle into Pikachu, sending Hope flying.

“Hope!” Ashley called out, even as Rafflesia caught her. Her pedals softened the impact and Hope said a grateful ‘Pika-pi!’ to the flower pokemon.

“Thank you my darling Gloom,” Erika said. “Now, Meadow don’t let up. Don’t let that Machoke recover! Keep lashing at him with your Vine Whip!”

“Leaf!” Meadow yelped, striking the Machoke again and again. Ashley’s eyes widened and she let out a gasp of sheer awe.

“...so, that’s what the power of a Gym Leader is like…”

Erika whispered to her. “I have a plan, we can’t knock out their trainers but we can knock out their Pokemon en masse. You follow me?”

“Yeah, I think I do. Ready Vivillon?”

“Viiiiiiiiiiiii!” the butterfly chirped, even as she looked around at the sheer chaos around her.

“Rafflesia/Vivillon, use your Sleep Powder!” both Erika and Ashley called, pointing at the loggers’ Pokemon.

Vivillon even as she flew up high, saw Rafflesia letting out her Sleep Powder. She rapidly flapped her wings, but to little effect. In her panic, she’d forgotten how to actually even use the move.

And to make matters worse, a Timburr was leaping upwards her spinning his wooden staff above his head. Suddenly, Ichigo leaped up and took the attack, knocking the Timburr away with a kick. Mouth glowing green, he grabbed the Timburr by the arm and bit down with Bug Bite.

Swinging the Timburr around with a seemingly impossible amount of strength for such a small bug, he threw the Pokemon into a boulder. The boulder cracked, and then shattered.

The Lokix then turned and faced the scared Vivillon and gave her a thumbs up. “Lok Lok LOKIX LOK!”

Whatever he said, Vivillon’s eyes were shining with tears from it. She flapped her wings as hard as she could, letting out large clouds of her Sleep Powder. Spearow grabbed Hope, and carried her up and out of the dusty orange cloud. His one good eye glared down at the loggers and their Pokemon.

Erika and Ashley had held their breath and saw the plan was working.

“Meadow, Sunny Day!” Erika said as the sun beat down around them. “Rafflesia, charge up your Solar Beam!”

The Gloom began to glow white, even as Ashley grinned up at her Pikachu. “Hope, charge up a Thunder Shock now! Let it fly, little buddy!”

Ashley’s Spearow wisely got clear, even as Hope landed atop a nearby branch.

“PI PI PIKACHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!” she called, bringing a massive lightning bolt down on Sam’s Voltorb. 

The bomb ball of a Pokemon began glowing white and too late his trainer realized what was going to happen.

“Get clear, he’s going to blow!” Sam said, pulling her co-workers backwards.

The Voltorb self-destructed, smoke and dust filling the battlefield leaving everyone coughing and hacking. As the smoke began to clear, the battle resumed. Jim’s Porygon let out a sharp Discharge knocking Ashley to one knee. Machop rushed in with a Mega Punch, his fist drawn back.

“Koffing! Both of you, Smoke Screen!” Sam said.

“Koffing!” both cried out, letting out a blast of toxic gasses from their bodies.

“Spearow, blow all of that smoke away now!” Ashley called out.

Spearow let out another cry and flapped his wings creating a strong wind rushing through the clearing.

Porygon however, was rising up for another attack and his whole body glowed with the power of Return.

“Hope, protect Spearow!” Ashley quickly cried. “I’m sorry, I know this will hurt but you’ve got to protect her any way you can!”

Hope slid back in the dirt, even as the attack struck her. Her eyes narrowed, electricity building up around her whole body.

“Pi… Ka… CHUUUUUUUUUU!” Hope said, letting the lightning fly. The Porygon was shocked so hard, it was completely knocked out.

The Timburr grabbed a rock and threw it at Hope, hurling it with all of his might. No, it wasn’t a Timburr, not anymore. Mid throw, it evolved into the much larger Gurdurr.

Ashley’s eyes widened, and then time itself seemed to slow down. Everything looked black and white, except for the Pokemon. She could see all of them, even those hiding in the forest. Every one of them glowed with a light.

“Vivillon, Light Screen to protect Hope! Spearow, I know you haven’t cleared the smoke yet but 25 degrees southwest there’s a Koffing right below you. Hit it with a Fury Attack!” Ashley said and true to her words a Koffing was found. It cried out in pain again and again, as her Spearow’s talons ripped into its hide.

“Erika! Quickly have Meadow fire an energy ball right there and have Rafflesia use Bullet Seed on that annoying Gurdurr!”

Erika stood slightly in shock, while Ashley felt exhaustion began to creep up on her. Even as Meadow fired off her Energy Ball, Ashley felt like she wanted to collapse right there.

Erika was supporting her, she suddenly realized. Her arm was wrapped around her, keeping her upright.

The Magnetite who’d been sitting back this entire time, fired off a Thunder Wave trying to paralyze its opponents. Ichigo however, had none of it.

Leaping forwards into another Double Kick, he slammed the floating magnet into the newly evolved Gurdurr. Both Pokemon were left wide open, and seeds shot into them like bullets from a machine gun.

“Alright!” Ashley cheered, looking at the workers and their tired Pokemon. “Are you giving up yet… or are you thirsty for more?”

Truth be told, she wasn’t feeling so hot herself but she really didn’t want to let it show. 

"...so, what are you going to do?"

-----

As the roughnecks Pokemon all collapsed, our heroes were looking exhausted but they were victorious.

Jack and his friends were slowly clapping, not looking impressed at all. Jack said, sarcastically: “Oh wow you really showed us. Whatever will we do? HEY THE REST OF YOU LUGHEADS GET OVER HERE!”

The remaining workers, all in a variety of builds, walked over. Some even cracked their knuckles and looked positively giddy.

“PIIIIIIIIDGEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” came a cry.

“...wait, I know that Pokemon…” Erika said, seeing the lone Pidgeotto from before flying towards the roughnecks.

The flying type flapped her wings over and over, creating a miniature dust storm.

“PIDGEOTTO!” the bird cried, which was a clear enough statement of ‘run for your lives!’

Erika and Ashley wisely took the hint, limping back into the forest. Their savior was right behind them, and as she looked the bird in the eye Ashley swore a sense of familiarity passed between her and the Pidgeotto. Almost as if they knew each other from somewhere.

The moment quickly passed however and Ashley clutched her side in pain even as she sat down on a rock.

“That was… holy fucking shit that was insane, like that was nuts.”

It was telling Erika didn’t even bother to chide her for her language.

“Watch out!” she suddenly cried, as a ninja leaped out of the trees with a knife in hand. 

A knife, dripping with a purple oozing poison. Erika’s eyes widened, that was Tentacruel venom! Deadly, without a cure.

The ninja threw off his robes to reveal he was dressed in the attire of Team Rocket.

The ninja/Team Rocket grunt lunged forwards with his knife. He wasn’t even given a chance to strike.

“King Triton, Hydro Pump!” came a voice that Ashley had only heard on the radio and on TV.

“GYAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!” a very familiar Gyarados roared, firing off a blast of water as a streaming torrent at the grunt.

A cape flew in front of Ashley’s face, its owner having burning red hair as bright as the evening sun.

“Lance…” Ashley’s eyes widened as the grunt went flying.

As the grunt goes flying, Lance gave him a look colder than the ice his dragons so feared. “Trash, nothing but worthless trash.”

He then smiled as he turned to look at Ashley.

“Hello, Ashley Ketchum,” the Kanto champion said, stroking his Gyarados’ scales. “So you’re the one that’s the talk of the town lately. And Erika, it’s lovely to see you again my dear.”

“A pleasure,” Erika said, curtly.

“I wonder, how did you ever awaken to such a rare power, Ashley? Few have it in the world today, it hasn’t been seen… Not since the time of… I wonder…” Lance pondered aloud.

Ashley just blinked in confusion.

“Still, it makes my heart beat to know I'm not the only one investigating the stolen Silph Co logging device,” Lance said. “They call it the Klawver, right?” 

Ashley and Erika exchanged a look.

“Whatever it’s called,” Lance said. “We have to stop it now, before more innocent Pokemon get hurt. You’ve got a loyal partner in Pidgeotto there, I’d advise catching her. Who knows, she might end up helping you in a mega fashion one day…”

Chapter Text

Ashley swallowed, seeing the world-famous champion in front of her, suddenly feeling very small. Even if he’d just saved her life, this was still Kanto’s champion and like seeing him on TV was one thing. But meeting him in real life? That was another matter entirely!

“Well, you said you wanted to meet Lance today…” Erika gently teased her.

“...me and my big mouth,” Ashley muttered to herself.

“Well kiddo, it seems you’re in quite a predicament,” Lance said. “You’re barely a few days into your journey and already you’ve stumbled into not one, but two Team Rocket plots. I’m amazed you haven’t seen any Absol yet by this point.”

“I know…” Ashley said, half-whining.

“Then again, with how much trouble you seem to find yourself in,” Lance said. “They probably just get a headache from getting within ten miles of you.”

Ashley hung her head, a storm cloud appearing over her.

“...did you have to rub it in?” she sighed, while Erika sweatdropped.

“Come, sit with me, we’ll make camp. We’ve got a few things to talk about,” Lance said, before pulling out Hyper Potions and spraying them all over Ashley’s pokemon. “A vivillon, impressive. You never see them this far from Kalos unless… oh yes it is migration season isn’t it?”

He smiled.

“Pokemon are such wonderful creatures, aren’t they? Always surprising, and always finding a new way to amaze,” Lance said. “They always manage to surprise me, unlike the rather boring predictability of humanity at times.”

Lance chuckled.

“There we go, I’m no Nurse Joy but your Pokemon should be feeling a little better. I’d still advise a good night’s rest, and a stay at a Pokemon center as soon as you hit Pewter City.”

He chuckled again. 

“Just don’t run into any more trouble on the way. I suppose though, with you that’s just wishful thinking. That said, I’m sure a trainer with such a rare ability and an amazing synchronicity with her Pokemon should be able to handle whatever she stumbles into next!”

“...do we really have time to just sit here and talk?” Ashley asked. “Those jerks are destroying Pokemon habitats, the assholes.”

“We’ll deal with them, rest assured.”

“What are you even doing out here, sir?” Ashley asked. “What, do you have some sort of special Champion sense for danger?”

Lance shook his head as he began starting a fire. “The only one with a unique sense out here is you young lady. As for what I’m doing here, the police contacted me, saying Silph Co had been robbed of… well what they called a valuable asset.”

“You sound skeptical,” Erika said, sitting down on a log and raising an eyebrow.

“Obviously,” Lance said. “Even Team Rocket’s never hit Silph Co, they’d never had the nerve so why’d they suddenly do it now? Where’d they find the courage?”

“And I’m betting you’re thinking it wasn’t Team Rocket?” Erika said.“Well, that assassin had the uniform. Although… anyone can wear it and shift the blame to the Kanto region’s largest mafia organization…”

“As you said, I was skeptical about what was really going on here,” Lance elaborated. “After talking with President Silph he gave me the plans for that horrible machine you saw. I realized it could easily be used to cut down mass swathes of trees for lumber, and…”

He sighed.

“People sometimes… They have no consideration for the Pokemon who live alongside them. Who preceded them,” Lance said. “They were here before us, and they’ll be here after us.”

“Can you get to the point?” Erika asked, somewhat impatiently.

“Yes, apologies, I got a bit side-tracked. Anyways, I’d begun checking the protected forests and this just happened to be the next one on my list. The wood in here, it’s always been very sturdy and some of these trees have stood for hundreds of years. This forest has always been so dense, so thick that it provides plenty of shade for bug-type Pokemon. And these…” 

He sighed, searching for the best word knowing there were young ears present. Or more accurately, knowing Erika would beat him over the head with her paper fan if he swore hard enough.

“...people are intent on ruining this very delicate balance, this perfect ecosystem!”

Erika frowned, and said: “So Silph Co was developing a deforestation device only meant for legal logging I’m sure.”

Her voice was a perfect deadpan tone.

The Pidgeotto that had saved her was rubbing against Ashley’s leg, chirping happily.  As she stroked the bird’s plumage, Ashley said: “Maybe I'm confused here but it sounds like neither of you believe this machine was actually stolen.”

“Of course not,” Erika sighed. “Silph co has a reputation of not exactly being… how shall I put this? Trustworthy at times. I suspect that they gave this Klawvler of theirs to Team Rocket but I also suspect the police, when they trace the funds will find evidence linking the two organizations.”

“You really believe that?” Lance asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, but it’s nice to dream isn’t it?” Erika said, with a sad sigh.

Ashley sighed, feeling a headache coming on. “This stuff goes way over my head. But you’re saying Silph Co is bad too and the police can't do nothin’ about it. Maaan, that sucks.”

Pidgeotto chirped and playfully tugged at Ashley’s hair.

“Wow, you sure are affectionate!” Ashley said. “...it’s funny, I feel like I’ve known you for the longest time. Like we’ve been old friends, and yet today’s the first time we’ve even met.”

Pidgeotto let out another chirp, seemingly in agreement.

“...is that why you rushed to save us? Because you knew me, somehow?” the dark-haired girl wondered aloud.

“Perhaps you did know each other, in a previous life I mean,” Lance speculated aloud and Ashley blinked in confusion. Lance chuckled. “Don’t mind me, I’m only just thinking aloud here.”

He smiled.

“Maybe I can’t prove it, but maybe Pidgeotto is one of your old Pokemon, reincarnated.”

“But I just started my journey a few days ago!” Ashley said.

“From your previous life. Indeed, maybe she was attracted to your familiar Aura signature. Maybe that’s how she remembered you.”

Ashley tilted her head “Aura?”

“The unique power you used however briefly. It’s something very few trainers in the world can use. There aren’t very many family lines with the ability to use it left. In the past, there were special knights to the crown who even used their powers for truth and justice including here in Kanto,” Lance said. “You may have heard of one of them, the Aura Guardian known as Sir Aaron who gave his very life defending the Tree of Beginning from two opposing armies. You could even be a descendant of him, who knows?”

“Wow, really?” Ashley said, starstruck and Erika groaned to herself in the background. 

“...and here we go…” the grass-type gym leader said to herself. “...really Lance? Did you really have to make her head any bigger?”

“It’s entirely possible, it’s been hundreds of years. There’s no way of proving it, not unless someone suddenly builds a time machine. What I’d give to have a window to the past, where Pokemon ran wild and free away from human interference,” Lance said, somewhat bitterly.

He coughed.

“Anyways, as I was saying. There is one man, in Sinnoh, Sir Riley who is confirmed to be a descendent of Sir Aaron’s family. Maybe you should look him up sometime, if you ever go that far. Which I’m sure you will, actually. You’re special, Ashley. Unique in a way few people are.”

Lance smiled. 

“Having the ability to use Aura…  it’s not something many people can say they have. But you… Well you on the other hand, you can, which amplifies your already innate seemingly supernatural ability to connect with pokemon,” he went on. “All of which means you are a truly impressive person, and a trainer whom I’d love to battle against someday. I can’t wait to see you try and take my title… if you can.”

Erika coughed, while Pidgeotto was giving Lance a sort of look, one of caution.

She said: “Yes Ashley has potential, I will agree with you there. However, we should also avoid heaping too much praise on her. As seen time and time again,  greatness without humility leads to arrogance and arrogance leads to failure. An attitude truly unbecoming of a proper lady.”

Lance let out another sigh. “Yes I suppose that much is true. It’s just I, as the Champion, rarely ever get to interact with young trainers as you can imagine. Much less those with potential. I envy you, actually. You get to interact with them far more often, watch them grow stronger. Teach them, if you can.”

He gave our young heroine a serious look.

“Ashley, whatever you do and however far you go, never take your mentor for granted. She’s a wonderful human being, there aren’t many people like her in the world today.”

Erika blushed, flattered while Ashley said: “Sir yes sir! I won’t, sir! Not after all she’s done for me!”

“We’ve only known each other for a few days…” Erika blushed even brighter.

“...and you changed my life,” Ashley said, hugging her tightly and Erika gently wrapped her arms around her. Smiling warmly, she kissed the teenager’s forehead.

“Now then, we should form a plan of attack,” Lance said, as he looked over the assembled pokemon. He kneeled down in front of Erika’s Lokix, shaking his head and sighing softly. “I’m sorry little one, even as strong as you are, you need rest. Even with the potions I gave you, you need to rest.”

Erika stared intently at the man, again that worrisome feeling in her gut returning. She didn’t know why exactly, but she really wasn’t sure if she wanted Lance near her Pokemon even with his position. All the same, she admitted to herself that she shouldn’t or even couldn’t argue his point. Ichigo had taken quite a beating in that last battle. Taking out his Pokeball, she nodded at the bug/dark type.

“I’m sorry Ichigo, but he’s right. You’re tired, and you used up a lot of your strength. You need rest. Even if Lance is a man, he knows a lot about Pokemon. I can tell just by looking at you, that you’re about ready to fall over.”

Ichigo tried to protest but his weariness defeated his own argument. He let out a half-hearted ‘Lokix’ as he was pulled back into his ball.

“Alright, here is the plan,” Lance began to explain, taking out the schematics given to him by the company president. “There’s a ladder on this leg here, you two will be climbing up it. I hope neither of you two are afraid of heights!”

He chuckled at his own joke while Erika gave him a look. “So what will you be doing then?”

“Giving you some breathing room, making sure you aren’t swarmed by those meatheads. King Triton should be enough of a distraction, don’t you think?”

The Gyarados let out a low rumble as Lance stroked his scales, the infamously fierce Atrocious Pokemon looking no more dangerous than a tame Ekans.

“You sound way too excited about this,” Erika deadpanned.

“It’s not every day you get to fight a giant robot, is it?” Lance grinned, fiercely. “Plus, those meatheads need to be taught a lesson on respecting someone else’s property.

“Humans… always intent on taking more and more for themselves than they need. Pokemon humble us, remind us of our place in the world and that we’re not always on the top of the food chain.”

Erika frowned, not sure if she liked his tone.

Lance, not seeing her expression, continued on. “Anyways, as I was saying, you two will climb up the back leg and get inside through a hatch. Once inside, you’ll have two main objectives. Detach the container, and shut down the robot’s power generator.”

Ashley blinked in confusion. “Why not shut down the generator first?”

“Simple, I’m worried there could be some pokemon who did not get away trapped with the trees. And well, once you shut down the generator… this mecha could collapse and blow sky high, and… well I hope Silph Co has the insurance for this abominable thing. They’ll just have to take the loss I suppose.”

“...well, even a horrible plan is better than no plan…” Erika sighed. “I guess it’s as good as we’re going to get, at any rate.”

Even so, she still couldn’t shake that feeling. Why wouldn’t it go away?

-----

Meanwhile, high above the forest a certain trio sat in their hot air balloon.

“Lance himself,” James said. “Imagine the Pokemon we could steal off him!”

“I hope youse is only speakin’ hypothetically because that’s Lance!” Meowth said. “Now we’ve done a lot of crazy things in our life before but what you’re asking is positively insane. Impossible even!”

“When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible,” James said.

“But youse has never claimed to be any sort of scientist,” Meowth said. 

“I went to a prestigious school though, so I did pick up a few things!” James said.

“Oh, don’t remind me,” Jessie sighed. “Just even mentioning that horrible place brings back bad memories…”

“Tell me your tail of failure again,” Meowth said. “I love hearing you two moan and groan about it.”

“We studied for the big test…” James started.

So sure we would beat all the rest,” Jessie sighed.

“And here's the part I like the best,” James said. “We frolicked that night, for our future seemed bright. But things weren't right!”

“We both got the lowest scores in the history of the entire school!” both Rocket agents said, slumping in defeat with their souls seemingly leaving their bodies.

“...so again, even if youse two are top of the bottom, how do you plan on swiping all of Lance’s Pokemon again?” Meowth asked. “I only have nine lives, not the nine hundred I’d need to go up against that Gyarados of his!”

“Even Lance’s Pokemon get tired, Meowth,” Jessie said. “We wait till he and those two twerps’ teams are all exhausted and then we step in and grab them all! The boss will surely promote us!”

“And a promotion means more money!” James said, his eyes turning to gold coins. “We’ll all get rich and rule the world! I can buy all of the rare bottle caps I want!”

“Oh that’s right… that obsession…” Meowth rolled his eyes.

“Who needs Team Rocket when you can write your own paychecks for a hard day’s work relaxing by the pool!” Jessie said. “Hot guys on every side, tending to your every need! Oh, it sounds absolutely exhausting!”

“...and we’ve lost her…” Meowth sighed. “...right, while you two are off in fantasy land, I’m going to stay right here in the real world and form a real plan of attack!”

He shook his head, sometimes he wondered what he did to get stuck with these two. At least he could steal all of the catnip he ever wanted!

-----

Another trio snuck through the forest, towards the towering smoke cloud the logging machine left in its wake. Most of the loggers had moved on with the machine, that being said there were still a few left behind looking for intruders. “You two stay here, I’ll deal with these three.”

Enlarging his Gyarados’ Pokeball, he tossed it and the massive serpent rose up over the treeline letting out a roar. Ashley held onto her hat, the roar making wind rush through the trees nearly blowing it off. Erika’s own kimono ruffled in the wind, her hair blowing in front of her face.

“King Triton, Hyper Beam now!” Lance said.

Lance, to himself, thought: “No, I can’t risk showing my hand yet. I want Ashley on my side. If she’s got as much talent as I think she does… Well, I can’t risk having her as my enemy down the line. So for now, I have to play my part as Lance, the admirable, even heroic Champion. Not Lance, liberator of Pokemon’s freedom. Pokemon don’t belong in balls, not with humans. They deserve to live wild, free of our interference. Free of humanity’s destructive capabilities.”

Quickly, he added: “On the ground, in front of them!”

It was better that way, he couldn’t kill these scum. Not with those two watching. He hated leaving witnesses, but for now he’d push the rage aside. He had to be the hero right now. The massive golden beam smashed into the ground, carving it up. The shockwave from the blast sent the loggers flying backwards, knocking one into a tree. Another hit the ground, unconscious. The final one was thrown down a hill. All were bruised and battered, and all bore scorch marks from being caught too close to the attack’s heat. But all were still alive.

King Triton rose up over the machine, with a loud growl. Lance, atop his serpent’s head, pointed at the logging machine. His cape billowing in the wind, he looked every part of the carefully crafted heroic persona he’d made for himself. Shouting loudly, he said: “You will surrender at once by the authority given to me by the pokemon league and the joint Kanto/Johto National Government Alliance. By the power invested in me, I’m placing all of you under arrest!

The machine whirled around, swinging its chainsaw arm at the Atrocious Pokémon and his trainer. The Gyarados dodged, and grabbed the arm in his jaws before slamming it into the ground. The earth shook, even as King Triton threw dirt into the machine’s eyes with a swipe of his tail.

“...why doesn’t anyone like bantering anymore?” Lance sighed. “Am I really that old fashioned? Oh well…”

-----

Back on the ground, Ashley and Erika stood in shock watching Lance engage the machine. “...wow, did you see that? He sent them all flying! The power behind that attack!”

Erika nodded, weakly. “Yeah… the power in that attack, it could have… It was rather excessive if you ask me. We need to get moving, quickly. We don’t have much time.”

The 2 teenage girls start charging towards the machine

Ashley and Erika ran underneath, hidden in the dust storm stirred up by the fight. Lance barked out a “Dragon Rage!” and his Gyarados fired a bolt of pure blue energy. The Klawvler scuttled to the side, and pulled out one of the trees in its back mounted container. Hurling one of them at the Dragon Master, Ashley watched as an Aqua Tail from King Triton reduced it to splinters.

As the two approached, Ashley swallowed at how gargantuan the machine really was. “...wow, it’s a lot bigger than I thought it was, now that I’m up close…”

Erika nodded. “Indeed, it’ll be like scaling Mecha-Tyrannitar from Mecha-Tyrannitar vs Godcalibur II.”

Ashley’s head whipped around to stare at Erika so fast she almost got whiplash. “A lady must always have a wide range of interests, after all. I’m more than just a pretty face, flowers and perfume.”

As the two ran towards the machine, a giant claw came up from above. Raised above them, it was poised to strike.

“Use Giga Impact, now!” Lance commanded, and his Gyarados glowed green before smashing into the side of the claw.

Erika, having seen what was going on, quickly grabbed onto Ashley and Hope. Pulling her to the side, Erika pulled the two into the dirt with the claw just barely missing them. A rock, sent flying by the claw, nicked Erika in her right calf. The teenager let out a shriek of pain, sliding along the ground.

“Are you okay?” she asked, looking at Ashley.

“I’m okay? What about you!?!” Ashley said, slightly panicked noticing the red stain rapidly forming on Erika’s kimono.

Hope was panicked as well, saying: “Pika pi, pi!” while waving her arms around.

“I’m fine,” Erika said before letting out another cry of pain. “No.. listen,” she said, putting a hand on Ashley’s shoulder. “Listen, this next part’s scary but you’re going to have to go on without me okay? I know you can do it.”

“But Miss Erik-”

“GO!” Erika shouted. “For the Pokemon! For the forest!”

Ashley was suddenly handed Meadow’s Pokeball.

“But this is…”

“Take her,” Erika said. “Your Pokemon… they’re not strong enough to hold their own just yet! You need her help! Right now… there aren’t any rules. This isn’t an official league match, and they’ll kill you if they can to keep their crimes from being exposed. They’ve already tried once, remember?”

Ashley nodded, remembering the Team Rocket assassin.

“Right…”

“Meadow, go with her!” Erika said, as her leafy fox appeared by Ashley’s side. The fox rushed over to her, yelping in worry. “I’m fine, go with Ashley. She needs your help more than me right now!”

Erika flashed back to Lance’s attack on the logger. “Ashley, don’t forget your humanity. Your kind heart, that’s what separates us from them. What separates humanity from mindless beasts! That’s your greatest strength!”

“Damn it, fine but you need to get to safety!” Ashley said, pleadingly even as Meadow climbed inside her bag.

Erika nodded letting out her Gloom, Rafflesia “I'll have Rafflesia escort me to relative safety now get going! Now!”

Ashley nodded, before turning back to look at Erika. “You’d better stay safe, you hear me? I only found my true self because of you and I want to learn more! I want to learn everything you have to teach me, and I want to face you in battle, at your full strength when I take your gym badge!”

“PIKA PI!” Hope shouted in agreement, even as Ashley broke into a run.

“Stay safe… Ashley Ketchum. The loggers…” Erika thought, looking up at Lance. “They’re not the most dangerous ones here today.”

-----

Up above, King Triton slithered through the sky overhead. It wasn’t common to see a Gyarados flying, but King Triton knew how. 

“King Triton, I know your head hurts, but we have to stop this machine,” Lance said. “Please, just hold on a little longer.”

“Damn it, will I have to use HER? I only caught her recently, she’s still not obeying my commands. She’s more stubborn than some Tauros at times,” Lance thought. “I really wish I didn’t have to push my Pokemon so much, it’s not right! Pokemon… they shouldn’t have to get hurt because of human stupidity, arrogance. We hurt everything we touch, even the ones closest to us.”

His Pokemon roared in pain, another tree lobbed at him. King Triton came crashing to the ground, with Lance thrown off him.

“Damn it… I should have brought more than two. I didn’t think I’d actually need any more to stop these disgusting people. My own arrogance blinds me. If this goes any worse, I’ll have to bring her out of her Pokeball. Raishan… that’s what the people in the mountains named her. They called her the Terror of the Skies, the Bloody Crescent, She-Who-Roars-At-The-Moon. There’s never been a more fitting name for a dragon…”

“Alright Triton… you have to get up. Are you really going to let a machine, wires and steel take you down? Knock you out of the fight, and break your spirit?” Lance asked and the sea serpent gave a fearsome, pants-wetting grin. “Use Flamethrower on the cockpit, blind the bastards!” 

King Triton roared, letting out a blast of searing flame at the cockpit. Lance, during the fight, noticed Erika being escorted away. He smirked.

“Good, that way that girl won’t hold Ashley back, and keep her from realizing her greatness. Maybe one day, she’ll actually finally give me a challenge instead of the usual pitiful fights I get from these worthless humans…” 

-----

Ashley rushed towards the machine, with Meadow and Hope clinging on for dear life. 

“...okay, let’s hope you suddenly discover you’re not afraid of heights…” she thought and swallowed, as she began to climb up the side via the ladder. “One step, one step at a time. That’s all, right? Easy, simple. Nice and simple! It’s just climbing, think of this as a really tall tree! Well, mama always said I was like a little Mankey…”

-----

Elsewhere in the forest, the rocket trio had landed their balloon and were watching the action with a pair of binoculars. Nyasu grinned, before saying: “Ok youse twos we have to be ready to rush in and grab Lance’s Gyarados, and then blast off as fast as we can!” 

Jessie and James nodded, before from behind them they heard the sound of a twig snapping. The trio felt a large shadow looming over them.

The three turned around, seeing a massive woman the size of a mountain with arms like tree trunks tower over them. Her name tag, pinned to her shirt said her name was Cathy. “I’m guessing you two are the intruders the boss told me to hunt down. Now let’s see it was 2 humans and an ugly mousey thing. Yea you seem about right, well I’ve only got one Pokemon but it should be enough for you two considering how pathetic you look.”

Nyasu hissed at her. “I’m a cat, a cat! It’s literally in my name, Meow th! I’ve never been so insulted in all of my nine lives! What part of me even looks like a mouse, huh lady?”

Cathy ignored them, and tossed a Pokeball sending out not a Machop, or a Machoke but a Machamp. The pro-wrestler Pokemon flexed all four of its arms and grinned.

“Looks like…” James swallowed.

“We’re about to be blasting off again in a different way!” Jessie squeaked.

-----

Ashley meanwhile was making her way up the leg nearing the underside of the Klawvler

As she finally reached the underbelly, she sighed.

“...come on, monkey bars, really? I was just cracking a joke about being a human Mankey! Who designed this thing anyways?” she whined as she slowly reached for them. “Ok you can do this, Ashley. Just be careful… Very careful.”

“Leaf…” Meadow whimpered, not wanting to look down from this skyscraper of a machine.

-----

Lance had noticed something that made him feel rather happy and he grinned. Not a friendly grin, no an absolutely vicious one.

“So… Erika is not around and dear Ashley can't possibly be watching the battle from underneath. Meaning…” 

The workers inside glimpsed the real Lance, and what they saw completely horrified them. Madness danced around with delight in his eyes like an inferno. “Gyarados, Flamethrower again on the metal on the cockpit, heat it up!”

Flames coated the cockpit’s structure, making it super brittle.

“Now… Aqua Tail!”

And Gyarados’ tail came smashing into the cockpit, shattering it and leaving the pilots inside exposed. Lance laughed as one of his hands clenched into a fist.

“...all of you, thinking you’re in control of the world. That you can control a planet that’s been spinning around for billions of years. Pokemon have been around longer than us. Nature… wins out. Now King Triton… HYPER BEAM!”

And the pilots barely had any time to scream before they were reduced to ash.

-----

Back underneath the machine, it was still shaking. Ashley let out a little yelp as she very nearly lost her grip. “I don't know what Lance is doing but could he at least be a little more careful?”

“PIKA PI!” Hope said, in agreement.

“Leafy leaf!” Meadow said praying to whatever Legendary was listening to that she would not die this day. All the while, she was still worried about Erika.

Ashley hurried along the bottom, when the machine shook again and the bar gave way. Ashley let out a scream, even a certain Pidgetto swooped in to save her. 

“That’s two times I owe you now…” Ashley said. “Thanks!”

“PIDGE!” the Pokemon said.

“Meadow, pull us back up with Vine Whip!” Ashley said, with the little fox somehow managing to pull her back up.

“Thanks Meadow, hope your vines are okay,” Ashley said, receiving a little nod from the fox. “...Guess Silph Co cut more than a few corners designing this thing.”

She continued climbing upwards, until she reached the hatch which was accessible by a wheel.

“Don’t look down, don’t look down…” Ashley said, turning the wheel. “...fine, Meadow? Bullet seed it open!”

“LEAF!” Meadow said, blasting the hatch off its hinges. As Ashley climbed inside, she looked around for the release lever.

“...okay, come on… where are you…” Ashley said, looking at the computer databanks. “Screw it, Hope just use Thunder Shock!”

Hope looked at her and at the databanks hesitantly, giving her trainer a look as if to ask ‘are you sure?’ 

Now she didn’t know much about machines, but she was pretty sure this could go poorly. 

“Pika pi…” she said, almost as if to say ‘oh well’ before zapping the computer consoles.

Then, there came a groaning sound.

“Wow, I was totally sure that wouldn’t work at all!” Ashley laughed, as both Meadow and Hope facepalmed in unison.

Alarms started blaring as Ashley quickly realized the ceiling above her was the container. As the container finished sliding away, a loud ‘thud!’ was heard as it crashed to the ground.

The door to the cockpit opened, a guy dressed like a country star with tassels hanging off his vest walking out. He was fairly badly burned, and looking furious.

“What in Tarnation is going on around here?” the sweaty southern-accented man asked, wearing a stetson on his head. “Well I say, now well I say this has gotten out of hand! First, that dragon master flash fries my whole crew and roasts them like they’re Tauros meat, and now I see a little brat ruining everything!”

“Lance would never!” Ashley said, swallowing.

“Well girlie, you didn’t see the look in his eyes then,” the man said, tipping his hat in a show of faux-politeness. “That man’s madder than a Primeape! It seems everyone has their secrets, hahahaha! But… I can’t let you expose mine, brat!”

“We’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?” Ashley said. “My name is Ashley Leaf Ketchum, and this ends now!”

The cowboy laughed long and loud. “Now I say! You stop me? You’re just an uppity little Ratata who doesn’t know her place! Now listen here, little missy I’m the site manager around here. The big cheese, and my name is Jim Bob Klondike and ain’t no little brat gonna stop me!”

Ashley snorted, her worries evaporating in an instant as she looked at Hope and Meadow. “...well, if this is who we have to fight, I’m sure we’re going to be just fine, girls.”

Jim pulled out a Pokeball, crying out: “Go Coalossal!”

A massive pokemon, burning magma erupting from its back stood in front of Ashley. The living eruption made a fully grown Rhyhorn look tiny compared to it, as it let out a roar of: “COOOOOOOOLLLOOOOSAAAAAAAALL!”

Ashley stared in wide-eyed shock, taking a step backwards and nervously pulling out her Pokedex.

“Coalossal, the Coal Pokemon. Native to the Galar region, it's usually peaceful, but the vandalism of mines enrages it. Offenders will be incinerated with flames that reach 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit. While it's engaged in battle, its mountain of coal will burn bright red, sending off sparks that scorch the surrounding area.”

Ashley swallowed. “...peaceful, huh?”

Ashley took a deep breath to calm herself, remembering what Erika had said to her. This guy… he wasn’t going to be playing by anyone’s rules but his own. He fully intended on killing her. 

“Spearow, Vivillon, get out here now!” Ashley cried out, the two flying-types appearing in flashes of light. Pidgeotto also swooped down, landing in front of Ashley with her wings spread wide in an intimidation display. 

Spearow tilted his head rather curiously at Jim Bob’s hat, before letting out a war cry, pecking angrily at the air.

“Hope, Meadow, I know you’re terrified… Hell, so am I but we have to stop this guy. He can’t get away with any of this!”

Meadow hopped out of Ashley’s bag, Hope landing beside her and the five Pokemon stared down the titan in front of them.

“Well shoot, ain’t ya goody goods supposed to play by the rules. I've only got the one pokemon and you've got 5. That's not fair at all, is it?” Jim said.

“Since when do jerks like you care about fair?” Ashley snarked. “You tried to send a member of Team Rocket to assassinate me!”

“Well now, I couldn’t let any of you go blabbing about my activities here for Silph Co. And I’m certainly not letting any of you here leave alive now that I’ve told you everything. Now I say, I suppose if you put your five together it still wouldn’t be as big as Coalossal here so you don’t stand a chance little girl!”

“SHUT UP, we’re ending your criminal activities here!” Ashley said, swinging her arm out to the side. “The Pokemon in this forest, they’re under my protection!”

“Dawww, ain’t you cute,” Jim said with a big belly laugh. “You sound just like a little Officer Jenny playing cops and Rocket. Where’s your toy badge and squirtgun, huh?”

“Meadow use uh crap,” Ashley winced. “I forgot to ask Erika your moves… so, ok I know you know Vine Whip and I think I saw you use an Energy Ball earlier so… USE ENERGY BALL right in his face!” 

Ashley pointed at the colossus of coal and Meadow fired off her attack, an explosion covering the Coal Pokemon’s face.

“Pidgeotto, Spearow, both of you use Peck on it’s left arm, and Hope, quick attack on it’s right side!”

Both birds let out cries as they struck the titanic Pokemon, with Spearow swooping around to snatch Jim’s hat right off his head. Hope was like a blur of yellow light, striking the Coalossal’s side.

“Now, while it’s distracted, Vivillon use your Poison Powder!” Ashley said, before Jim even got a chance to give his Pokemon an order.

“VIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” her butterfly said, releasing a purple powder all over Coalossal. The pokemon roared in rage, but staggered, clearly poisoned.

“Just hit one of them already!” Jim snapped. “She’s only a little girl, she can’t be that far into her journey! Wipe out all of her Pokemon! Coalossal, use Heat Crash!”

The massive Pokemon charged out of the powder dust, and his whole body was covered in flames. Wrapped, wreathed in an inferno, Coalossal charged towards Meadow like a bull.

Ashley thought fast, the world seeming to briefly slow down again. She knew what she needed to do, in that moment, saying: “Quick Spearow fly in and grab Meadow! Hope, use your Double Team and then Quick Attack and hit its legs from behind!”

Spearow flew in at top speed just barely grabbing Meadow with his talons. Hope let out a cry of: “Pika!” quickly forming clones of itself with Double Team. And then one by one, all of those clones slammed into the towering Pokemon, making it stagger.

“Pidgeotto, Gust attack now!” Ashley said, and the flying-type let out a car as she beat her wings. High winds kept Coalossal off-balance, even as his trainer let out a growl.

“What are you doing, stop fooling around! It's just a bunch of babies! Take them out already!”

“Meadow, now! Leech Seed!” Ashley said, thinking fast.

“...Leaf?” Meadow tilted her head in confusion.

“Don’t know that one then? Huh… okay then, Razor Leaf!”

“ROCK TOMB!” Jim said, and his Pokemon’s back erupted with burning coal raining all around Meadow.

The Leafeon let out a pained cry, though Coalossal winced in pain from the dose of poison it’d taken earlier. 

“Fire Punch!” Jim ordered, with his Pokemon charging forwards with both of his hands wrapped in a burning flame.

“Meadow, quickly use your Vine Whip to trip it up and Pidgeotto, use your Quick Attack to help her out!” 

Meadow wrapped her vines around the Pokemon’s left leg, and yanked hard causing it to fall backwards. Pidgeotto, with an almost practiced precision, struck the giant in the head with her Quick Attack, making it fall backwards.

“DO SOMETHING! Get rid of those damn birds already! INCINERATE!” Jim said, seething.

The Coalossal’s throat began to glow with a burning orange light, a ring of fire forming around his mouth. Then, he fired off a searing fireball racing towards Ashley’s Pokemon.

Ashley swallowed, realizing there was no time to dodge . “I’m sorry Vivillon, but throw up your Light Screen right now in front of Meadow! I know, you won’t be able to hold it back for long but we’ve got to protect Meadow! She’s the strongest one here!”

Vivillon nodded and quickly threw up a Light Screen, though it didn’t hold for long. The Incinerate attack smashed right through the barrier, knocking both Vivillon and Spearow out in one blow.

“That was a rather cold move for such a hot-blooded lass!” Jim said. “I’m amazed you had the nerve to stomach such an act!”

“I don’t need your compliments, asshole! Hope, Double Team!” Ashley said, her Pikachu creating dozens of little clones of itself.

More fireballs hit Hope, though only taking out her clones. 

“Quick Attack!” Ashley said, with Hope leaping into the air and headbutting the Coalossal.

To Ashley’s surprise, her Vivillon wasn’t out of the fight just yet. The Scale Pokemon shone like a rainbow, letting off a Psybeam towards Coalossal. It staggered, and Vivillon passed out completely.

Jim could only laugh. “Well well little missy looks like things are slowly turning in my favor. You may have ruined my plans, but I’m going to ruin your life!”

“Meadow, Energy Ball again. Hit it right in its stupid face!” Ashley cried before saying: “Pidgeotto, Hope, double Quick Attack now!”

Meadow launched off another glowing green orb, which combined with the double Quick Attack pushed the Coalossal backwards. 

“Now again, another double Quick Attack on its arms!” Ashley said, with both of her Pokemon striking quickly.

“Again, Fire Punch!” Jim said.

“Pidgeotto, fan that flame right back at him!” Ashley said, but to Ashley’s horror the Coalossal got even quicker.

“Hah! My Coalossal has the Ability known as Steam Engine, any fire or water attacks you hit it with just make it six times faster!” Jim laughed and Ashley’s eyes widened in horror.

Hope, acting on her own, ran up the giant’s arm with her tail suddenly starting to glow white. She stuck the giant with her tail, causing it to stagger.

“Okay, I don’t know what you just did but do it again if you can!” Ashley said. “It looks like you really hurt it!”

“Pikaaaaachu!” Hope said, striking again with her tail looking more silver than white. 

“Pidgeotto, Gust again! Knock it over! The bigger they are…”

“PIIIIIIIIIIDGGGGGGGGGE!” the flying type cried, quickly dodging the Coalossal trying to grab her with one massive fist. Beating her wings, the bird sent the giant toppling backwards.

“...the harder they fall!” Ashley said. “Now Meadow, again with an Energy Ball!”

“LEAF!” Meadow said, leaping into the air and firing off the attack again.

“Hope, keep it from getting back up with Quick Attack again and again! Pidgeotto, keep on hitting it with your Gust attack! Meadow, grab its arms with your Vine Whip!”

All three Pokemon obeyed their orders, with the Coalossal bombarded with multiple attacks at once. Its arms bound, he couldn’t pull himself off the floor and roared in rage. Jim was spitting in fury, spittle flying everywhere.

“NOW LET'S FINISH THIS! All of you, QUICK ATTACK IN UNISON!” Ashley said, and all three Pokemon became blurs of motion. The Coalossal, weak from the continued poison in his body, didn’t get up again. It’s head fell backwards, the giant slipping into unconsciousness.

Jim spat, ranting in a pure rage and staining the air blue.

-----

“You… I know your true face,” Jim said, looking up at Lance. “You killed them, all of them! You enjoyed it! I saw the look in your eyes, you hide behind the face of a hero, but you’re worse than any of the villainous groups you foil! And you claim to love Pokemon!”

“It was an accident,” Lance said. “Silph Co, you would know how much they like to cut corners…”

And lowering his voice so Ashley couldn’t hear him, he said: “And even if you kept on ranting, shouting to the whole world about my true face… nobody would ever believe you. Who would they believe, a low life like you or me, the Champion of Kanto beloved by all and an idol to millions? I do love Pokemon, yes, but humans… humans, worthless diseased trash like you who believe they’re above them… They don’t deserve this world.”

Jim finally stops shouting. “What are you talking about yo…”

He was cut off, as Lance punched him in the face knocking him out.

“Worthless trash,” Lance sighed, cuffing the man as he walked over to Ashley. “Ignore him, he’s clearly not well. You however, did an excellent job. You should be proud of yourself, you helped me take down a great criminal. Maybe he’ll even lead to Silph Co’s downfall, assuming he’ll be deemed sane enough to speak in an official hearing.”

Ashley nodded, too exhausted to really enjoy the praise. “...Let’s just go find Erika, okay?”

Lance smiled. “Alright then, climb on the back of my Gyarados. Erika, she shouldn’t be far. I see she’s taught you well, you handled yourself in battle incredibly well back then. I stand by what I said, maybe one day I’ll face a proper challenge from you. I look forwards to that day.”

-----

Elsewhere in the forest Erika was bandaging her leg with her beloved Gloom watching her, concerned.

Erika smiled gently at her. “It’s okay, it’s not as bad as it looks. Honestly, I’m more worried about getting the blood out of my kimono, they don’t wash easily.”

“Erika!” Ashley said, tackling her into a hug. “We did it! We did it! That jackass, he’s been arrested! Lance cuffed him and everything!”

“I’ve already contacted the Viridian City police, Officer Jenny should be here soon to pick this man and his associates up. Now, I have to ask… would you like a lift to Pewter City? It wouldn’t be too much trouble, I was heading there anyway for personal reasons actually.”

Ashley shook her head. “No, if I’m going to become a world-class trainer, and challenge you one day, I can’t take shortcuts. No, I need to tough it out in this forest for a little while longer.”

“Well said,” Lance praised. “An excellent decision, besides you might find more Pokemon to help you fight Brock when you reach him.”

“I think…” Ashley said, extending her arm for Pidgeotto to land on. “I already have…”

Chapter Text

“Alright, lunchtime everyone!”

We find our heroines still deep within the Viridian Forest, on the route to Ashley’s first gym battle in Pewter City.

Ashley’s confidence, for her part, felt rock solid in her capabilities to win.

First things first though, they still had to get out of this forest. Even with the clear-cutting, this was still one of the biggest hurdles for first time trainers. It was genuinely advised to stick to the path when navigating this forest, which… well needless to say Ashley hadn’t listened to that advice.

“Well, I’ll say this, Ashley,” Erika said, sitting down on a rock and fanning herself. “It’s actually sort of impressive how long this little short-cut turned out to be. I can’t actually tell what direction we’re heading in.”

“Hey, you said it yourself,” Ashley said, placing out bowls and filling them with pokemon food. “You wanted me to catch more Pokemon, so here I am, out here in the forest catching more Pokemon.”

Hope gave her a look, the electric mouse raising an eyebrow.

“Okay so I’ve only got you, Spearow, Pidgeotto and Vivillon. Quality over quantity, okay?” Ashley said in her defense before dodging a Peck attack from her Spearow. “Geez, okay, you’ll get your food! You just have to be patient!”

The tiny bird hopped up on a rock and glared at her.

“Okay, are you still pissy I bit you and caught your whole flock?” Ashley said before rolling her eyes and sassing the bird. “That’s just what happens, capiche? Trainers catch Pokemon and Pokemon obey their trainers! So I order you to sit and wait for your food.”

“Proper ladies are polite to their Pokemon,” Erika said. “If you treat them with kindness, they will show you the same respect that you show them.”

“I’ll show this Spearow respect when he earns it!” Ashley snapped. “All he’s done is sit and glare at me!”

“You’re not helping your case,” Erika told her. “Yes, Spearow are bad tempered Pokemon, and they’ve earned that reputation with good reason but he’ll warm up to you in time. But that’s only if you don’t shout at him and make him even madder at you.”

“Ugh, fine…” Ashley sighed, managing a weak smile at her grumpy bird pokemon. “...still if I’d caught a Pidgey as I originally planned to do, it wouldn’t be half as difficult to train as this jerk.”

“Well, if you’re the World’s Greatest Trainer,” Erika gently snarked. “You should have no trouble at all dealing with a simple Spearow. Who knows, maybe you’ll be rewarded someday with a mighty Fearow. I heard even the great Fezandipiti was a Spearow once before being blessed and turned into the form it’s known today as.”

“This Spearow could be an Articuno in disguise for all I care, right about now,” Ashley said, placing the bowl in front of the tiny bird. “It still has a terrible attitude.”

Erika gave her traveling companion a Look. Ashley sighed.

“Right, sorry that was uncalled for,” the dark-haired girl apologized to her Pokemon. “I don’t know what I have to do to win your respect, Spearow but you and I will be buddies! You’ll see!”

Ashley thumped her chest with a fist before extending her hand to the Spearow, trying a winning grin. The Spearow just pecked at her hand, leaving the young girl letting out a curse after yelping in pain.

“...Patience, huh?” Ashley said. “...let’s hope I have a lot of that.”

“Pika!” Hope said and glared at the Spearow, which probably amounted to ‘don’t make me shock you again!’ in Pokespeak.

The Spearow rolled its remaining eye before letting out a sigh of ‘Spear…’. 

Ashley let out a sigh of her own, smoothing out her clothes. Then, she swallowed her pride. “Look, if this is going to work, we can’t be trying to squabble with one another at every chance we get. You want to be strong?” she asked, gaining a nod. “You want to be the strongest Spearow in the world? You want to outfly even Articuno? Is that it?”

“SPEAR!” the Spearow squawked, which she took as probably a ‘yes’.

“Well, stick with me and you’ll be the strongest Spearow in the world! You’ll be a shining example of… no you’ll be the example of your species!”

Her Spearow still looked skeptical before giving another sigh. He then gave what was probably the equivalent of a shrug with his wings.

“See?” Erika said, nodding approvingly and clapping her hands together. “It isn’t so hard to come to an arrangement is it?”

Ashley set out the final food bowl for her Vivillon who let out a happy squeak and flew down towards her. Her butterfly licked her with her proboscis and Ashley let out a disgusted groan.

“Viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” the breathtakingly beautiful butterfly squealed, fluttering down to her bowl. The bowl, which was right next to Spearow’s own.

“Spear, Spearow, Spear!” the rather annoyed bird said, pecking at the butterfly.

“Viiiiiiiiiiii!” the Vivillon said, tackling the bird away.

“Oh come on…” Ashley groaned, looking skywards in a silent plea of ‘why me?’. She quickly broke the two apart, asking: “Now can’t you two just get along? You’re a part of the same team now! Don’t make me put you back in your Pokeballs!”

“Spearow!” the tiny bird said, angrily at this threatened indignity. His talons clawed at the ground, kicking sand in both Ashley and Vivillon’s faces.

Ashley just glared at the flying type, and to her credit the Spearow actually did back down.

Ashley slumped against a nearby tree. “...this is my life now, isn’t it? Be a Pokemon trainer, everyone does it! Everyone makes it look so easy!”

Erika giggled.

“What’s so funny?” 

“Nothing,” the gym leader said. “It’s just… well, trainer and Pokemon are starting to look quite a lot alike now! They say people and Pokemon do rub off on one another!”

“Har dee har har,” Ashley said, sarcastically. “I don’t look anything like him!”

She said this, while making a very similar expression as her Spearow. Nearby, Hope and her Vivillon shared a look between them.

“So when are you actually going to start training your Pokemon, huh Ashy?” 

Ashley felt a deep groan leave her when she heard that voice.

“Gary,” she said, turning towards her former childhood friend. “What happened, did you double back to gloat? Well, you’ve done that, so run along. I think the forest has had enough of your voice for one day.”

“Wow, I gotta say, and Pops did tell me about your recent change but frankly, I don’t see much difference.” the youngest Oak said.

“And what’s that supposed to mean, huh?” Ashley asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. Erika began to rise up from her sitting place as well, just in case she needed to step in.

“I mean you’re still the same old, same old whom I left behind back in Pallet.”

“So what, do you not take me seriously as a girl or something?” Ashley said, her Pikachu hopping up on her shoulder. Hope’s cheeks were sparking in warning. “Because I’m all woman!”

“Well, you’re a little short to be called a woman,” Gary said. “You haven’t hit your growth spurt just yet, though then again maybe you never will!”

“Will you get to the point already?” Ashley said. “Maybe then you can, y’know, leave?”

“Girl or boy, you’re still the same weakling I left behind. Just so you know, I didn’t come back to gloat, Ashy. I don't get your whole deal Ashy but if you say you're a girl I'm not gonna disrespect that. You already got enough stuff I can make fun of. Like that stupid hat, that I will make fun of you for. It’s so last year.”

“...yeah? Sure feels like it. Sure feels like you’re gloating.”

“I just… I totally didn’t get lost either,” and Ashley didn’t believe him for a second. “I heard the sound of your voice and I came in to check in on my least favorite trainer, that’s all.”

He observed the clearing, eying his rival’s Pokemon.

“Wow, your Pokemon look just as weak as you are! You’d better get onto training them, assuming they’ll even listen to your stupid voice!” 

Gary laughed and Ashley sighed, she wished she could forget how annoying his laugh was.

“Here’s a hint, Ashy. Check your Pokedex, maybe you’ve somehow gotten lucky and for once Arceus blessed you! Though it still won’t help you beat me when we meet again! Smell ya later, Ashy!”

With that, Gary walked off into the forest, leaving Ashley steaming.

“Oooooooooooooh, that Gary!” she said, her cheeks red. “He just really burns a girl up!”

“He could have been politer about it, yes, but he did have a point. Your Pokedex should tell you everything about your Pokemon, including what moves they know,” Erika said.

“...Gary, making a good point,” Ashley said. “Gary, making an actually good point. I can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth, ugh it makes me want to be sick just saying that.”

“Well, rude as he is,” Erika said, fanning herself from the heat of the Kanto sun. “He is the grandson of a Pokemon professor.”

“True, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it…” Ashley said, opening up her Pokedex and scanning each of her Pokemon.

“Spearow, the Tiny Bird Pokemon. Its short wings make it inept at flying. It moves about hurriedly and pecks at Bug-type Pokémon in the tall grass. Farmers whose fields are troubled by bug Pokémon appreciate Spearow for its vigorous appetite and look after it. Its reckless nature leads it to stand up to others—even large Pokémon—if it has to protect its territory. This Spearow is male and knows the moves Peck, Sand Attack, Leer, Fury Attack and Feint Attack.”

Next, her Vivillon.

“Vivillon, the Scale Pokémon. Vivillon with many different patterns are found all over the world. These patterns are affected by the climate of their habitat and often scatter colorful but toxic scales mid-flight and in battle. This form is from lands with distinct seasons. This Vivillon is female and knows the moves Tackle, String Shot, Psybeam, Light Screen, Poison Powder, Gust, and Sleep Powder.

Next, Pidgeotto:

“Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokémon. Pidgeotto claims a large area as its own territory. This Pokémon flies around, patrolling its living space. If its territory is violated, it shows no mercy in thoroughly punishing the foe with its sharp claws. The claws on its feet are well developed and with them it can carry prey such as an Exeggcute to its nest over 60 miles away. This Pidgeotto is female and knows the moves Gust, Sand Attack, Quick Attack, Mimic, Steel Wing and Defog.”

And finally, Hope.

“Pikachu, the Mouse Pokemon. It stores electricity in the electric sacs on its cheeks. When it releases pent-up energy in a burst, the electric power is equal to a lightning bolt. Whenever Pikachu comes across something new, it blasts it with a jolt of electricity. If you come across a blackened berry, it's evidence that this Pokémon mistook the intensity of its charge. This Pikachu is female, and knows the moves Thunder Shock, Thunder Wave, and Quick Attack. It also potentially knows the egg move Volt Tackle from one of its parents.”

“Ooooh, Gary was right. You did get lucky, Volt Tackle is not a common move for Pikachu to know, it’s only in about 5% of Pikachu,” Erika said. 

“Hear that? You’re awesome little buddy!” Ashley said, high-fiving her Pikachu. Hope rubbed the back of her head with a paw, actually blushing.

“That being said, egg moves require training just like any other move. It likely won’t be a while till Hope can actually use it. I’d recommend starting with Quick Attack, and building up from there,” Erika advised. “Getting Pikachu’s speed up is crucial, and then you can have Hope start adding a coating of electricity to herself.”

“You hear that Pikachu?” Ashley said, with a grin and adjusting her hat. “We just gotta work on your speed! You’ll be the fastest Pokemon around, Hope!”

“Pi-Pikachu, Pika!” said the little mouse, which probably meant ‘Yeah, that’s the stuff! Taste the sheer speed, bitch! Flying types, beware!’

Spearow took a few nervous steps away from Hope, and squawked, possibly worriedly.

“Hope, now that you’re all full, take a quick run around the clearing and start building up your speed! Gotta burn off those calories anyways!”

“Pika?” said Hope, which translated to: ‘Are you saying I’m fat?’

“Gary will be eating his words!”

“PIKA!” Hope said, excitedly. Her cheeks sparked with the little mouse looking determined and all charged up for action.

Erika smiled in spite of herself, and stroked Meadow’s fur as she ate. Maybe Ashley had potential after all, she was certainly very enthusiastic at any rate. And a rivalry would certainly be healthy to Ashley and her pokemon’s mutual development. Though, she hoped this wouldn’t grow out of control.

The way they talked, Ashley and Gary had a long, ugly relationship and she worried things could get out of control.

She wished that Professor Oak had taught Gary to not let his status go to his head. But then again, he was a teenage boy and all of them were little snots like that.

Such was life.

-----

The two continued their walk through the forest, and several days had passed since they’d entered it.

“...we gotta be nearing Pewter City soon…” Ashley said, reading the map she’d picked up in Viridian. “...at least we’re back on the path, though it feels like the trees are getting closer and closer. Like they’re, I dunno, closin’ in or something like that.”

She laughed, slightly nervously.

“Hehe, I remember my mom telling me stories of the really old forests. Where trees walked on their roots all by themselves and had minds of their own. But that’s impossible… right?”

“Pika… Pikachu…” Hope said, nervously trodding alongside her with her ears flattened against her head. She was probably saying: ‘I hope so…’

“We should be in the last stretch of this forest, though I’d be careful all the same,” Erika warned. “Even if the trees don’t walk, this forest is infested with Beedrill nests. I’d keep your eyes peeled, angry beedrill aren’t really something I’d care to deal with.”

“Just be glad neither of us are afraid of bugs,” Ashley snorted and chuckled. “Can you imagine what a pain this would be if we were traveling with someone afraid of bugs?”

“I’ve never seen what’s to be afraid of, bug-types are beautiful and often wonderfully poisonous,” Erika said gushingly, earning her a strange look from Ashley. “They pollinate our gardens and help the beautiful flowers bloom.”

“Yeah, as long as their stingers stay away from me,” Ashley said. “Pokemon are beautiful when they’re not trying to attack you.”

“Well, as long as you don’t, hmmm, I dunno throw a rock at any of them you should be fine,” Erika said serenely.

“I wouldn’t do that!” Ashley said. “Have a little faith in me, I’m not that dumb!”

Hope gave her trainer another one of those Looks.

Then, a sword swung out of nowhere at them.

“WHAT THE HELL!” Ashley shouted, grabbing her Pikachu and leaping backwards. A kid, about her age dressed in samurai armor and holding an actual katana stepped out of the grass. “What’s your fucking problem, man? You could have killed me!”

“A trainer must always be aware of his surroundings,” said the Samurai, in a distinctly Unovan accent. Ashley groaned, so he was a weeaboo.

“I’m a GIRL you asshat!”

“Funny, you don’t look developed enough to be-”

Pidgeotto actually popped out of her Pokeball and began rapidfire pecking the Samurai.

“I see you haven’t learned to control your Pokemon either, stupid!”

“I’m not stupid, you’re the stupid one, Stupid!” Ashley said. “And maybe you should keep your smart mouth to yourself, asshole! I just started transitioning so thanks for the self-image issues, jerkface!”

Erika stepped up. “While normally I would be lecturing Ashley on the proper decorum for a lady, she’s quite right. She hasn’t transitioned completely so you’d do well to show her the proper respect. Samurai, last I heard, were supposed to be honorable and noble and respectful. You are none of those things!”

“Yeah, what she said!” Ashley said, her Pikachu and her Spearow nodding along with her. “What’s with that getup anyways? The re-enactments and medieval fairs are in Ecruteak City!”

“I honor the way of the ancie-”

“Yeah yeah, I don’t care,” Ashley said, sassily. She walked by the ‘Samurai’ waving him off dismissively “Sorry for living, goodbye!”

“I have challenged all three of the trainers from Pallet who passed this way so far and-”

“Did you get your ass beat by all of them?” Ashley snarked.

“Yes, but it has only toughened me up! I have become stronger with every loss!”

“Yeah, so why haven’t you won yet then?” Ashley said, dryly.

“We must do battle!” the samurai wannabe said. “I cannot let you pass without a battle! Our eyes locked, so that means we must do battle!”

“Ugh, fine. Prepare to get your ass beat for a fourth time!” Ashley said, with Hope hopping off her shoulder. Her cheeks sparked and a fanged grin spread across the mouse’s face.

“I really wish I could have been around to see Gary destroy you. Frankly as much as I hate him I hate you even more! I didn’t think it was possible, but I found someone even more annoying than him which is quite a feat so congratulations!” she said, dialing up the sarcasm to 11. “Give yourself a big ole pat on the back!” 

“PINSER, I choose you!” the ‘Samurai’ said, and a massive beetle-like Pokemon appeared in a white flash.

“Well, you know what they say…” Ashley cracked her knuckles. She tossed her straw hat up in the air leaving Erika to catch it. “The bigger they are… the harder they fall!”

“That little rat is going to take down my Pinser?” the ‘Samurai’ scoffed. “Its armor is tougher than mine!”

“Hardly something to be worth bragging about,” Ashley deadpanned. “Your armor looks like it’s part of a bad cospl… oh wait, it is. Hope, start this off with a Thunder Shock!”

“Pinser, grab it and send it flying with a Seismic Toss!” the ‘Samurai’ said and the massive bug-type lurched forwards. “I pity you if you’re going to take on the Pewter Gym with a little mouse like that! Brock’s tough, hard as rocks!”

“Yeah, I’m thinking I’ll file your opinions somewhere between ‘screw this’ and ‘screw that’, okay?” Ashley said, still snarking. “Hope, dodge and shock him with how powerful you are!”

Hope leaped out of the way of the Seismic Toss and rebounded off a tree.

“PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACHUUUUUUU!” she said, letting loose with the lightning.

There was a bright flash, forcing Ashley to cover her eyes. When the bright light finally faded, the Pinser slumped forwards into unconsciousness.

“Fine then, we’ll see how you deal with-”

“Uh, no, we battled and you lost,” Ashley said. “Did you get it out of your system? Good, because I’ve got places to be.”

That’s when she heard it.

The buzzing of an entire swarm.

“You stupid girl, you see what you’ve done?” the ‘Samurai’ said. “You’ve stirred up all of the Beedrill in this forest with your flashy attacks!”

“You’re the one who challenged me!” Ashley was swift to point out.

“We must flee!” the ‘Samurai’ said, turning tail and running for the hills.

“I thought samurai were supposed to stand their ground and face any opponent!” Ashley said, leading Erika along by the hand. She didn’t dare look back, because she knew what she’d see anyways.

“...well, this seems familiar doesn’t it?” Ashley said to her Pikachu. “I hope this doesn’t become a running thing with the three of us!”

“Well, look at it this way,” Erika said, trying to see the bright sunny side of things. “You’ll be getting plenty of exercise if so!”

“How do you even run in that kimono anyways?” Ashley asked.

“Plenty of, huff, practice!” her companion said, panting a little.

That’s when Ashley felt herself trip on a rock, falling forwards. She fell into a tumble, rolling down the hill and into another little clearing in the woods.

“Ashley!” Erika shouted, walking down after her down the hillside.

“Oh boy…” Ashley said, seeing the swarm of Beedrill flying towards her almost rising up out of the tall grasses. “Getting some real feelings of Deja Vu here! Let’s complete this flashback then! Hope, again with a Thunder Shock!”

“Pika!” Hope said with a nod, charging up before letting it fly. “PIIIIKKKKKKKKAAACHUUUU!”

Golden lightning bolts flew, striking down several of the Beedrill but plenty more rose up to take their place.

“I see this is going to be one of those days then…” Ashley muttered, even as the Beedrills continued to swarm around her.

“Beedrill!” several of them hissed, firing off Pin Missiles. Ashley leaped to the left to avoid the attacks and blew a raspberry. Okay, so it probably wasn’t a smart move all things considered but she’d never claimed to be that smart either.

Pin missiles impaled themselves in a tree like spears and Ashley winced at how close they’d come. The spikes dripped poison and she really did not want that tree to be her next.

“Spearow!” Ashley said, tossing the bird’s Pokeball. “Peck away!”

“SPEAAAAARRRROWWWWWWWWW!” the bird cried out and even a swarm of angry Beedrill flinched seeing an angry Spearow flying towards them. The bird’s beak glowed and he swooped in striking one of the wasps before flying around for another pass.

“Alright Ashley, so you want to be a master of Pokemon?” she said to herself. “Well, think of this as another step on your road to greatness! Spearow, keep up that onslaught! Don’t give them any room to catch their breath!”

“SPEAAARRROWWWW!” her Pokemon cried, striking another Beedrill with his Peck attack.

Another Beedrill came in, Twineedle at the ready. It flew towards Ashley and she let out a yelp of pain, grabbing at her leg. Her pants were torn, and her leg was bleeding slightly from the force of the attack.

Another Beedrill came in, and another. Ashley drew back her fist and punched the first one in the skull before crying out: “Hope, Thunder Wave!”

Hope let out a wave of electricity, paralyzing a few of the Beedrill in place.

“Now, Quick Attack!” she said.

“Pika!” Hope said, striking one Beedrill and then another and then another before they’d even had a chance to recover. 

“Ulp!” Ashley swallowed as one of the swarm fired off a Pin Missle attack right at her. She ducked into the grass, diving into it for safety.

“Spearow, Spear!” said her bird, as it struck her attacker with another Peck. Spearow landed, kicking sand in the Beedrill’s faces and stared them down. His Leer made quite a few of them wary, dropping their guards.

Just in time too, and Ashley smiled when she heard Erika’s voice.

“Meadow, Razor Leaf!” the Gym Leader of Celadon City said and her Leafeon let the attack fly. The sharpened leaves cut right through the swarm like miniature scythes.

“That is quite enough,” Erika said. “Sunny Day, now!”

If possible, the Kanto sun seemed to become even harsher and hotter.

“Now… Bullet Seed!” Erika ordered and her grassy fox spat out seeds like a machine gun. Advancing, her Leafeon cleared a path to safety through the swarm.

Erika grabbed Ashley by the hand and pulled her out of danger. Deeper into the forest they went, where the trees closed in even tighter around them.

The Beedrill were funneled into one direction, and couldn’t come as many at once.

“Now Meadow, Energy Ball!” Erika said, pointing at the swarm with her closed hand fan. One Beedrill crashed to the ground in front of her, and Erika lobbed a Pokeball at it.

The Pokeball sucked the wasp-like Pokemon inside, and it shook for a few seconds. It quickly dinged, marking a successful capture.

“...this is going to become another running thing, isn’t it?” Ashley said, as she pulled out a net ball and enlarged it. “Us, capturing entire flocks and swarms and donating them to other kids around the world?”

“If you want it to be, yes,” Erika said, pulling out more Pokeballs. “Are you ready, Ashley?”

“Well, actually yeah I do like the idea of this becoming a ‘thing’,” Ashley said. “We solve two problems at once. Our immediate one, and the issue of kids never getting starters!”

“I dunno, it seemed to work out for you and Pikachu,” Erika teased. “And better them, than Team Rocket!”

“Well, if they’re all as stupid as those two back in Viridian, I don’t think the world needs to worry much!” Ashley snarked before calling forth her butterfly with a: “Vivillon, knock ‘em all out with your Sleep Powder!” 

“Viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~!” the butterfly said, flying in a circle and spreading an orange powder from her wings.

And the Beedrill tried to fight off their newfound drowsiness but ultimately failed. One by one, they kept crashing to the ground.

“Pokeballs… GO!”

-----

Ashley felt hot, tired and dirty by the time she and Erika finally emerged from Viridian Forest.

“...Pewter City,” Ashley said, seeing the city spread out beneath her down the hill. “First things first, I am going to take a shower!”

“I’ll be right behind you. A proper lady never allows herself to stay this dirty,” Erika said. “I can’t believe that…”

Whatever she had to say next though….

“Ash Ketchum!”

“It’s ASHLEY!” Ashley snapped, turning to face the ‘Samurai’. 

“My apologies, I did not know,” for once, the teenager looked genuinely apologetic. “I only knew the nickname Gary called you by, Ashy. I just assumed that… Well, anyways I see you survived the Beedrill swarm! Now, we can resume our battle!”

Ashley growled and drew back her fist, punching the teenager.

“NO! And HELL NO!” she snapped, the volcano erupting. “I don’t owe you anything, especially after you turned tail and ran like a coward leaving me and Erika to fend for ourselves!”

“Erika, as in…?” the ‘Samurai’ trailed off, nervously finally realizing.

“The very same, I have half a mind to refuse a gym battle with you assuming you even make it to my city,” Erika said. “But if you do make it, it’ll be a gym battle you’ll get because I rather unfortunately have to accept any challengers. Rest assured however, it will not be easy for you! That’s a promise! Now be gone with you, and get out of my sight!”

“...I hope everyone in Kanto isn’t this weird…” Ashley grumbled.

“Oh, don’t worry. They get weirder!” Erika teased and her friend could only sigh to herself.

-----

Meanwhile, back at a certain Professor’s place…

“Ashley Ketchum has caught a new Pokemon!” Oak’s computer chimed.

“Oh, already? Well, she is in Viridian Forest…” Oak said as he sat up. “It might be a Caterpie, or oooh maybe even a Weedle! Good early Pokemon for a beginner.”

He checked the new entry in Ashley’s Pokemon.

“Oh, a Beedrill! That’s a nice catch!”

Then, his computer chimed again.

“Ashley Ketchum has caught a new Pokemon!”

“Again? Well, she’s on a roll today. Maybe it’s a Butterfree!”

And it kept on chiming. 

“Ashley Ketchum has caught a new Pokemon! Ashley Ketchum has caught a new Pokemon! Ashley Ketchum has caught a new Pokemon! Ashley Ketchum has caught a new Pokemon! Ashley Ketchum has caught a new Pokem-”

Oak could only sigh as it kept chiming. “...I see this is going to be a thing with her… Well, on the bright side, there will be plenty for the PFDT to choose from!”

Chapter Text

“...well, at least you know what type of Pokemon the gym leader uses,” Ashley said, looking up at the gym, which was less a building and more a colossal slab of stone. “...come to think of it, I really don’t have any Pokemon good against rock types…”

“Well at least you’re not charging in there like an idiot,” Erika remarked. “I was worried I’d have to watch you get your butt kicked.”

“...you may yet,” Ashley remarked. “I don’t have a single Pokemon effective against rock-types. Honestly, it’s the opposite. I’m so going to get creamed.”

“So are you going to quit right now, and turn around?” Erika said, teasingly. “Or is the world’s greatest Pokemon master going to find a workaround her first real hurdle? Or are you just all talk, and is the world’s future Pokemon Master just something you say to yourself in the mirror every morning?”

Ashley gave her the stink eye. “I know what you’re doing, and I appreciate it but you’re laying it on a bit thick aren’t you?”

“Well you yourself can be a bit on the thick side as well,” Erika said, somewhat snarkily. “You want me to shout it in your ears so I know you’ll have heard me?”

“Har har,” Ashley said before smiling. “...Still, at least we’re back in civilization. For a while there I thought I was going to be in that forest for the rest of my life! Traded the forest greens for just a lot of gray. It’s kinda depressing actually…”

She sank down into the street with a storm cloud above her head.

“...great, now I just made my mood as dreary as the rest of this city…” 

Erika blinked, swearing the cloud above Ashley’s head was starting to actually rain.

“Pewter City is gray, the color of stone,” a man said, passing by. Erika narrowed her eyes at the man, swearing she’d seen him somewhere before. She couldn’t place him exactly though, maybe it was just her imagination. She blinked, maybe he just had one of those faces. “This town has always been famous for stone.”

“...that’s great I guess?” Ashley trailed off. “...well I suppose it’s good to be famous for something, right?”

“You’re a traveling trainer, aren’t you?” the man said and again Erika blinked, swearing there was a sense of familiarity about this guy. “Don't tell me you plan on challenging Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader.”

Ashley gasped. “Are you a psychic, because you just read my mind!”

“No, it’s obvious by the way you’re loitering in front of his gym,” the man said. “You’re looking up at it, wondering if you should really go in. Wondering if you really have what it takes.”

“So what’s it to you?” Ashley asked, rather bluntly. “Why do you care? It’s not like I asked for your opinion! Alright, if you’re so smart, then you can tell me how much of a chance I have huh mister know it all okay?”

“Well, I can tell you right now that you don’t,” the dark-skinned man replied. “You should give up right now, and go on home and maybe come back once you’ve had a little more training and a little more self-confidence. As it is, there’s no way that little mouse of yours will even make a scratch on Brock’s rock-solid Pokemon.”

Hope let out a little angry ‘Pika…’ as her cheeks sparked in pure indignation.

“Who knows, maybe I’ll surprise you…” Ashley said, with a little growl in her voice and Erika smiled approvingly. At least she still had her fire and wasn’t letting this guy get her down.

“Possibly, it has happened before, but I doubt it.”

“Why you!” 

Erika had to hold Ashley back before she got into a fistfight with the man.

“Now now, that’s enough of that…” she said, calmly trying to keep a cool head even if she really disliked this man. Ashley was plenty arrogant that’s for sure, not helped by Lance’s praises but she didn’t need anyone verbally beating her down like this!

“You’re Erika, aren’t you?” the man said, turning to her. “Celadon City’s gym leader. Maybe you should lend this girl one of your Pokemon, to at least give her a fighting chance.”

Erika was about to speak up, and say that was no way for Ashley to learn. But she was caught off by the black-haired girl herself.

“No way! If I did it that way, the badge wouldn’t even be legitimate! If I used one of Erika’s Pokemon, I’d be relying on her skills, not on my own!” Ashley sputtered in pure indignation. “If I had to rely on Erika’s help every time even things looked slightly tougher, there’s no way in hell I’d become the world’s greatest Pokemon Master!”

Erika smiled approvingly, rather proud of her young idiot companion. It seemed every day that Ashley managed to surprise her somehow. She was growing up, a little bit at a time.

“...well, you still won’t be able to beat the Pewter City gym leader, even if you apply your own skills,” the man said, and pointed to the sign outside the gym. “See that? The gym’s closed today.”

Ashley, Hope and Erika simply facefaulted.

-----

“Well, if we’re not going to be able to challenge the gym today,” Erika said, at a nearby tennis court. “I think we should make use of our suddenly clear schedule and engage in some training. During your battle with that Coalossal, you said Hope’s tail was starting to glow silver at times?”

“Yeah, I did!” Ashley said, snapping her fingers in memory. 

“That sounds like the beginnings of an Iron Tail,” Erika said. “A steel type move, it’d be super effective against Brock’s rock types. Combined with Hope’s natural agility, and you actually have more of a fighting chance than you thought.”

“Oh wow, really?”

“Yeah, and your Beedrill and your Vivillon should be able to contribute too with Toxic and Sleep Powder. You’re actually more out of the woods than you thought.”

“...but we left Viridian Forest…” Ashley blinked, cluelessly.

“...I see we won’t be speaking with metaphors today,” Erika said, rubbing her temples. “Put simply, you do have the beginnings of a potential strategy. And there’s another move you can teach a Pikachu as well, called Electroweb. With it, you can have Hope imprison Brock’s Geodude he always leads with in a web of pure electricity setting it up for the Iron Tail finisher.”

“...assuming we can even teach Hope those moves…”

“Well, Hope’s clearly already grasped the basics of Iron Tail, and I think Vivillon and Beedrill can help tutoring with Electroweb. It’d be no more difficult than them using String Shot, principle wise. Your team builds one another up,” Erika gently explained. “Shall we?”

A few hours later, the duo and their Pokemon were fairly exhausted and the sun was beginning to set.

“Well, I think we’re getting somewhere,” Erika said. “I saw how much progress Hope was making so I think we’re actually pretty close as we’re going to get.”

“...yeah, but can Hope do either of those moves on cue?”

“Sometimes, all you have to do is just have faith in your Pokemon. When I was training my Gloom, it’s why I couldn’t just force Rafflesia. She had to do things on her own, I couldn’t instantly just snap my fingers when I wanted her to progress on a new move. I had to step back, and just have faith in her.”

“That, yeah that makes sense and I’ve got confidence in my Pikachu. I am the one to be training her, after all. She’s undoubtedly awesome! She’s my Pokemon, of course she is! She’s the most awesome Pikachu in the world!”

“Well, it’s good you have confidence in her abilities, even if it crosses over into outright arrogance,” Erika said before she yawned. “We should get an early sleep tonight, we all want to be rested for your gym battle tomorrow, after all. Your Pokemon have had a long training session, and they need to recover their strength. Even Hope can run out of energy.”

Ashley nodded before fighting back a yawn herself. “...yeah, I know what you mean. I’m beat, we’ve been walking and training for days. It’s been quite a while since I’ve had the comfort of an actual bed.”

Finding the Pokemon center, poor Hope was in for a shock when she got there however.

“Pika?” Hope said which meant: “Huh? Doctor Joy? But I thought… hold on a second, I’m confused…”

The Doctor smiled kindly at the little mouse.

“Yes, my name is Doctor Joy, Doctor Sarah Joy. You must have met my cousin Victoria back in Viridian!” the Joy explained to the poor mouse.

“Cousin?” Ashley blinked. “But you two look… I mean, it’s like you two are twins!”

“Really?” Sarah Joy asked. “Personally, I don’t see what you mean. We don’t look anything alike!”

Ashley just sweatdropped.

“...that must make family reunions interesting…” she said as Erika giggled in the background.

“Anyways, I’m sorry to say if you’re looking for rooms for the night, we’re all filled up. I can direct you to a hotel if you like,” Victoria said, apologetically. “I’m sorry Ms. Ketchum, and Ms. Tachibana but-”

“There’s no need for any of that,” said a voice, as Erika smiled seeing her fellow gym leader walk into the building. “Doctor Joy, my gorgeous lady love, allow me to help these two young trainers out! I’ve got plenty of room at my house! If it allows me to prove my love and devotion to you, I’d be happy to help out!”

Erika sighed. “...Brock, how many times have you tried winning Sarah's love?”

“20 this month alone!” Brock said, without a hint of shame.

“Wait, you’re Brock?” Ashley’s eyes widened in shock as she looked the dark-skinned teenager up and down, looking to be about a few years older than her. He wore an orange shirt, and she wasn’t sure if his eyes were even open or not. “I was supposed to battle you at your gym today!”

“Yeah, sorry, but I got absolutely wrecked by some kids from Pallet one after the other,” Brock admitted, rather embarrassingly. “Including some kid who took me on with just his Squirtle! Swept my whole team!”

“...that sounds like Gary,” Ashley said, hanging her head with that dark cloud over her head returning again. “...well, he is Oak’s grandson and as much as I hate to admit it, he does know a lot more about Pokemon and how to bring out their real potential.”

“Yeah, I thought he looked a little bit like the Professor,” Brock said. “...friend of yours?”

“...yeah, once,” Ashley said with a sigh. “And then his ego went to his head and suddenly… we just weren’t.”

“Damn, that sucks,” Brock said. “I admit, even as unprofessional as it sounds-”

“Unprofessional? You were just hitting on Nurse Joy!” Ashley snarked. “You’re one to talk!”

“She’s a beautiful angel from heaven!” Brock said, hand over heart and Ashley swore she heard a holy choir from somewhere. …was everyone in her region just this plain weird?

“As I was saying, though. Gary does need his attitude taken down a few pegs, skill is one thing but the kid has a serious attitude problem. I’ve seen balloons with less hot air than him.”

Ashley snorted and Erika suppressed an unladylike snort of her own.

“Anyways, as I was saying, I’d be happy to offer you a place for the night! The both of you! It’d be just wrong to turn down a fellow gym leader and her girlfriend in her hour of need!”

“I’m not her girlfriend!” Ashley said, though she felt a distinct rush of heat to her cheeks at the idea. Or at least, the idea of dating another girl. She wondered why.

“Brock, we don’t want to impose. Besides, you have nine siblings! You can’t possibly have room for-”

“Nonsense!” Brock said. “There’s always another place to squeeze you in! It’s the only gentlemanly thing to do anyways! You’ll even get a homemade breakfast for you and your Pokemon in the morning!”

“If you say so…” Erika said, uncertain.

“Homemade breakfast?” Ashley said. “It can’t possibly compare to the food my mom makes for her cafe!”

“Is that a challenge?” Brock grinned. “Well, I’d be honored to take you up on that!”

At Brock’s home, Ashley didn’t feel like she was intruding at all actually. The home, with the toys on the floor and the crayon-drawings on the wall stuck there with pride? It felt lived in, it didn’t feel like a house. It felt like a home. It felt like it was full of the most important thing of all, love.

“...nine siblings huh?” Ashley said. “...and where’s…?”

“My mother’s on vacation, though I don’t think you can ever really call it a vacation when she’s never planned on returning home,” Brock said, rather bitterly. “And my father… Well, honestly I don’t know where he is and I don’t care actually by this point. He left his gym, and his kids to me.”

“...which just leaves you,” Ashley said, with a sigh. “Damn that sucks. For what it’s worth, I know what it’s like. My dad, I haven’t seen him in years and honestly he and mom are married only on paper. She’s been left to take care of me alone.”

“...well at least you still have one of your parents,” Brock said. “So you’re lucky in that way, don’t take it for granted. Some people, they don't understand what it’s like. Namely having a mom that loves you unconditionally, up until the moment she’s gone.”

“Yeah, mom’s the best. She even supported me when I ca…” Ashley swallowed, realizing she’d probably said too much.

“When you came out?” Brock said. “Don’t worry, I don’t care. Suzie, that’s one of my little sisters, she decided she wanted to be a girl one day so we got her on D.”

“D?”

“Ditto genes,” Brock said. “They’re doing amazing stuff with it nowadays, have you…”

“I’m not sure if I even can,” Ashley said. “Erika’s a friend, but she’s not exactly my legal guardian so…”

“Call your mom the next time you can, I’ll back you up if I need to,” Brock said. “You deserve to be your truest self, everyone does.”

He sighed, sadly.

“...something wrong?”

“Yeah, see, running the gym was never what I wanted to do with my life,” Brock said. “I always wanted to learn about Pokemon breeding. Learning what kinds of foods they eat to bring out a Pokemon’s true power, everything a successful breeder would want to know. I get more joy from raising Pokemon than battling them. That’s why I started making homemade meals. …well, that and one other reason…”

“Yeah, guess it’s hard to follow your dreams when you’re forced to step up to being a parent,” Ashley said. “...Mom, she always said she wanted to give the Pokemon League another try but with dad gone… I mean, she’s happy running her cafe but I always wondered if…”

Ashley gave a sad sort of smile.

“That’s one of the reasons I’m on my journey, so I can live her dream for her.”

“You’re a good daughter. I wish I was a better son, maybe then my father wouldn’t have left me behind,” Brock said, sadly before he looked at Ashley. “Now you should get some sleep, you’ve got a gym battle with me tomorrow. And I refuse to accept you at anything less than your very best. Good night.”

“G’night…”

Still, sleep didn’t come easily for Ashley. As she tossed and turned on the couch, she reflected. At least she still had her mom when her dad up and left. Brock, as she listened to him tell a bedtime story to his little siblings… He didn’t even have that.

He’d had to raise them all on his own. She sighed, if she ever met his father then he’d be getting a swift kick in the dick. It’s not like he deserved to have any more kids anyways, not if he couldn’t take care of the ones he already had. Some people were the reason gene pools needed lifeguards.

Smiling at the thought, Ashley drifted off to sleep.

-----

The next day…

Lights flashed on, instantly illuminating the battlefield which was covered with what else but more rocks.

“Are you ready, Ashley? Before we begin, how long have you been with that Pikachu? How long have you been with that Pokémon?”

“Uh, about a week I guess?” Ashley scratched her head. “But we’ve had battles with trainers, so Hope is hardly weak! She even defeated a whole Spearow flock all by herself!”

“Then maybe I won’t knock her out in one blow,” Brock said. “But… All the same, if you plan on battling solely with Hope, then you’re in for a big disappointment. As someone who’s been learning to be a Breeder, I’m going to pass on a little piece of advice. You need to properly take care of all of your Pokemon, you can’t just neglect them in favor of your favorite. That’s a disservice to them and your abilities as a trainer.”

“I’d never do that! My team, they’re like my family! You take care of your family, and I’ve been taking care of mine!”

Brock smiled. “Then this battle should at least show off your strength, if you don’t win today there’s always tomorrow. Just remember to take care of your Pokemon, and you’ll go as far as you want to. You can see just by looking at my Pokémon how rock hard my willpower is. My Pokémon are all hard as rock and have true-grit determination!”

Ashley grinned. “Then we’ll just have to show you our might!”

“You're going to challenge me even knowing that you'll lose? That's what a Trainer's honor demands! So be it! Show me your best!” Brock said, snapping his fingers and enlarging a Pokemon. “Gooooooooo Geodude!”

“Geodude!” the boulder with arms said.

“...what if it’s a girl?” Ashley blinked. “...wouldn’t it be called Geogal then?”

Brock facefaulted and Erika giggled from her place in the stands.

“...wait, if you love your Pokemon so much, why haven’t you…?” Ashley trailed off.

“Simple,” Erika explained. “Gym leaders always have multiple teams, each scaled to the level of trainers they might face. Brock’s using his team meant for trainers who don’t even have one badge, while he has another for those who have 4 to 5 badges. He simply doesn’t have time to name them all, plus he could get them mixed up mid-battle. Besides, most of his Pokemon belong to the gym anyways, not him.”

Ashley nodded. “Makes sense.”

“Geodude, Rock Throw!” Brock said, pointing at Ashley’s Pikachu.

The pokemon grabbed a rock, ripping it up from the field and tossed it towards Hope.

“Hope, agility now!” Ashley said. “Roll to the left, dodge it!”

“Pika!” Hope cried, dodging the thrown rock as it shattered into rubble behind her. 

“You know what to do, pin it down with Electroweb!” Ashley said, even as Geodude flew towards her in a full-on charge.

“PIIIIIIIIIIKA!” Hope said, leaping forwards, up above the rock-type and creating a ball of orange electric netting on the tip of her tail. 

Lobbing the netting forwards, Hope pinned the Geodude to the floor.

“Ha, now come down on top of him with Iron Tail!” Ashley shouted as Hope’s heart-shaped tail glowed silver. The color of steel. Hope let out another cry as the steel-laced tail came crashing down on top of the Geodude, slicing through the electric netting.

The floor cracked beneath Brock’s Pokemon, and then cratered with Geodude unconscious.

“Geodude, return! Very good, I’m impressed,” Brock said, calling back his Pokemon. “You weren’t lying, you do have a strong bond with your Pokemon. Teaching your Pikachu that move, maybe you do know what you’re doing after all. But it’s only going to get harder from here, fair warning. Give up now, and I’ll spare you the pain.”

“Then you don’t know me that well, at all do you?” Ashley asked.

“Heh, I guess not,” Brock said. “Truth be told, I’d have been disappointed if you gave me any other answer! Let’s go, Skiddo!”

A goat-like Pokemon, with grass instead of wool leaped into the air. Landing atop of one of the remaining rocks on the field, it let out a loud ‘baaaaaaa’ sound.

“Of course, what sort of gym leader would I be if I didn’t cover for my weaknesses?” Brock said. “This is Skiddo, a grass type from the Kalos region. Not many Kanto trainers have one of these.”

“Funny, I guess my next Pokemon will be like your Skiddo meeting an old friend then!” Ashley said, recalling Pikachu. “Come on, Vivillon!”

“Viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” the elegant, graceful Pokemon said as she flew up above the battlefield.

“A Vivillon, and by its scales it’s well-looked after! You keep on pleasantly surprising me, Ms. Ketchum.”

Ashley grinned. “Please, just call me Ashley. It’s a name you’ll be hearing a lot of, in the future! Now Vivillon, Psybeam!” 

“Tackle attack, Skiddo!” Brock ordered the small ram, and it let out another ‘baaa’ as it leaped into the air towards Ashley’s butterfly.

“Quickly, use your sleep powder!” Ashley quickly changed her orders, and her Scale Pokemon flew around the arena spreading orange dust everywhere.

Skiddo’s eyes shuddered shut and it fell crashing headlong into a rock knocking itself out.

“Two down, three to go!” Brock said. “Let’s see how you get along with this next Pokemon! Bolin, I choose you!”

A pokemon, resembling a cross between a snapping turtle and an Ankylosaur of some sort appeared. The grass-type let out an audible thud as it landed on the field, with bushes growing out of its shell. 

“The color’s off though, that’s not like any Grotle I’ve seen at Professor Oak’s…” Ashley blinked, as the Grotle pawed at the ground. It was golden with an aquamarine shell instead of its usual coloration.

“This is a Shiny Pokemon, they’re prized for their rarity and while they’re no stronger than usual members of their species,” Brock said. “Their coloration is a breeder’s dream. I raised this one from an egg myself! But enough talk, Bolin use Withdraw! Hide in your shell, you can’t be put to sleep if Vivillon can’t get to you!”

“Vivillon, return! I know how to draw it out of its shell,” Ashley said. “Go Mustard! Use Toxic!”

The newly named Beedrill buzzed and fired purple poison from its twin stingers. The Grotle groaned, splashed with the oozing purple substance and let out a moan of pain.

“Mustard return, now while it’s weakened!” Ashley said. “Go Spearow!”

“A good strategy, wearing down Grotle’s defenses that way and then choosing a Pokemon who would be super-effective against his hard shell despite the lower level,” Brock said, admiringly. “That Spearow… I can see he’s been in many battles because of his scars. Is he a member of the flock that you said your Pikachu beat?”

“The leader!” Ashley said, even as her Spearow pulled out a hat she’d sworn she’d seen somewhere before.

“...wait, is that the hat from that Jim Bob guy?” she thought, even as her Spearow tipped his hat with a wing.

“Then this should be interesting!” Brock said, having thrown off his shirt in the excitement of a good battle. He’d been completely caught up in it all, thrilled at the challenging match. “Bolin, withdraw into your shell again and withstand Spearow's attacks!”

“Peck! Keep pecking away at that Grotle’s shell until you find a weak spot!” Ashley said, and her Spearow flew up and looped down into a dive with his beak glowing white.

“SPEAAAAAAARRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!”

And Ashley grinned, and that older guy said this was supposed to actually be a tough gym battle! So what did he know anyway?

-----

“Good work, Ashley,” Brock said, recalling his Grotle. “But those were just the easy Pokemon. You’re out of type advantages now. This Pokemon… I found it, or rather its fossil in the nearby mines. Go Cranidos!”

The small Pachycephalosaurus had a hooked beak, and a hard dome-shaped head. It stamped at the ground, blowing steam from its nostrils.

“So, giving up yet?”

“Never! Hope, Iron Tail!”

“Cranidos, Take Down!” Brock said, and like a bull, the dinosaur charged towards the small Pikachu. Hope might as well have been waving a red flag with how angry the fossil Pokemon looked.

“Up and over, Hope!” Ashley said. “Flip up over it!”

“I don’t think so!” Brock said, even as Hope followed her trainer’s directions. “Cranidos, use a Flamethrower now!”

Ashley watched in shock as Hope was blasted backwards by a jet of burning orange flame.

“Move tutors, another useful trick in raising your Pokemon,” Brock said, gently raising a finger. “You can use them to teach Pokemon moves they otherwise ordinarily wouldn’t know and cover for their weak spots. Such as Cranidos, against steel types.”

“Ha, I’ll keep that in mind!” Ashley said. “Hope, Thunder Wave! Electrify the whole field!”

“PIKA!” her Pikachu said, letting out a shockwave from her body and leaving Cranidos paralyzed.

“Try to move, Cranidos! Flamethrower, again!” Brock said, and despite his current position the fossil was able to let out another jet of flame.

“Leap over it, and come down crashing into another Iron Tail!” Ashley said, and Hope followed her directions leaping off a rock. Her tail was charged with silvery steel and it came smashing down onto Cranidos head.

“Cranidos return, so you’re 4 to 5 and you haven’t even lost a single Pokemon yet,” Brock said. “Impressive. I’m actually having to work for my victory. But you haven’t met my strongest Pokemon yet. He’s the first one I ever had, the only good thing my dad ever did for me by giving me him as an egg to raise. Let’s go, Quake!”

The massive serpentine rock snake towered over Ashley’s tiny Pikachu, and roared at the little electric mouse. Onix pretty much reached the ceiling and Ashley knew it’d take a lot of Iron Tails just to bring the massive Pokemon down.

“There’s no shame in forfeiting the match,” Brock said. “Come back with a water Pokemon, and we can resume from there.”

“Water…” Ashley thought to herself before snapping her fingers. “That’s it, I know how to beat this one!”

She grinned, tossing off her hat and cried out: “Hope, aim your Thunder Shock towards the sprinkler system!”

“What?” Brock gasped, seeing the golden lightning bolt race towards the ceiling. “So that’s your play… I have to admit, none of the other trainers thought about that and just tried to bulldoze their way past my Onix. Good thinking, unconventional thinking but good thinking!”

As the sprinklers sprayed Quake, it roared in anger.

“But can you outlast my Onix?” Brock said. “Go on, Quake, wrap that little rat in your coils!”

“Oh no you don’t,” Ashley said. “Knock it away with your Iron Tail!”

“Pika!” Hope said, knocking away Quake’s head with another one of her Iron Tails.

“Now pin its tail to the floor with Electroweb! Make sure it can’t move!” Ashley said, and she watched as a golden net pinned most of the Onix’s tail to the floor.

Even as the sprinkler water rained down and Quake roared in pain, several kids ran out of nowhere. They stood between her and Quake.

“Stop! No! Don’t hurt Quake!”

“He’s supposed to win!”

“Please, leave him alone!”

Ashley’s eyes widened, realizing these had to be some of Brock’s little siblings.

“No, Ashley’s supposed to win,” Brock said, bringing his little siblings in for a hug even as his Onix collapsed to the floor into unconsciousness. “She earned her victory today. I’m proud to have battled her.”

Recalling Quake, he walked up to Ashley and pinned a badge to her bag.

“And I’m even more proud to give you your first badge,” Brock said. “Welcome to your journey towards the Pokemon League, kiddo. I hope to see you there.”

------

“I did it, I did it! I did it!” Ashley pranced around in victory outside the gym.

“Yes, you did,” Erika said, with a warm smile. “Though it’s unladylike to gloat, I should add.”

“Ha, shows what that old man knows! He had no faith in me at all!” Ashley chortled. “Well who’s laughing now huh?”

“...Honestly, it seems I have to eat my words,” the older man from before said, walking up. “Well done, kiddo.”

Erika’s eyes narrowed, there was something familiar about the way he said that.

“Dad?” Brock asked, stepping out of the gym with eyes wide.

“Wait, you’re…”/“I knew you looked familiar!” both Ashley and Erika said in unison. 

Ashley crossed her arms and glared at the man, an expression mimicked by her Pikachu and her Spearow. (Whom she'd named Clint, given his apparent like of cowboys and deadly accurate aim)

“You mean you're the good-for-nothing father who left home and never came back? You might just be why the middle finger was invented in the first place, because I’m very tempted to use mine, asshole!” Ashley snapped. “You’d better have a good excuse, because if not I will try and ignore you so hard you’ll end up doubting your own existence!”

“...and again with the language…” Erika sighed, though she admitted she was of similar sentiment.

“I couldn't become the great Pokémon trainer I wanted to, and because I was such a failure, I was too embarrassed and ashamed to go back to my family,” Brock’s father said, ashamed. “Honestly, you can say all you want to me, son. I’m ready to hear it. I know I deserve all of it. But… It's time I started taking care of my family.”

“Alright, there are some things you need to know…” Brock started but instead of a tirade of insults, he had this to say. “Suzy always rips her dresses so you better learn how to sew. And Timmy only eats cold spaghetti for breakfast. Cindy sleepwalks so you have to tie a bell on her wrist and the twins never want to take a bath. Tommy likes corn flakes for dinner, so-”

“Hold on, slow down, I can’t write that fast!”

Ashley and Erika shared a look.

“...you really think he means it?” Ashley sighed. 

“I dunno, but that’s not what’s bugging you, is it?” Erika said, knowingly.

“...no, it’s not. Brock’s lucky, at least his father came back…” Ashley sighed and Erika wrapped an arm around her. 

-----

Later, as they were at the edge of Pewter City, Ashley and Erika were joined by a very surprising figure.

“...wait, Brock?” Ashley blinked.

“Yeah, I want to stay a few days and make sure my father is keeping to his word, but would you mind if I meet up with you as soon as I can?” Brock asked. “I know I’ve got things to learn, but so do you. Maybe we can teach each other a few more things, like we did today. Besides, Erika warned me that you’re a terrible cook so…”

“...yeah, it’s not one skill that mom was ever able to pass to me…” Ashley laughed nervously.

“Well, between Erika and I, I think we should be able to fix that problem. And as a breeder, I’ve learned plenty about Pokemon’s likes and dislikes when it comes to their food. I want to try my recipes out on your Pokemon, see if they’re not just flukes.”

“Sure! We’re all trying to reach our dreams and I’d be a real dick if I didn’t help you reach yours!” Ashley grinned before admitting: “...you know, I’ve always wanted an older brother. You, I don’t know, but I guess you’re what one’s supposed to be y’know?”

Brock grinned. “Then I’ll be happy to fill in. Just leave everything to Brocko!”

Erika sighed, she supposed once again Ashley was like a magnet. Drawing people and Pokemon alike in. She still wasn’t sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing yet.

But Brock, as perverted as he was, well he was a far better influence than Lance. And that was something Ashley really needed right about now…

A roar cut through the sky, and all three looked up to see a great white dragon flying through the sky. It looked down at Ashley, and then swooped down and flew over her head far too fast for her to even draw her Pokedex.

“...hey, that Pokemon, it’s the same one I saw when I left Pallet Town…” Ashley said. “...I wonder which Pokemon it is?”

The white dragon flew skywards letting out a blast of flame and then flew up into the clouds. Up, and out of sight.

“New Pokemon are being discovered all the time, so who knows?”

“And that Pokemon?” Ashley said, her eyes filled with determination that Erika knew all too well. “When we meet again, I’m going to catch it!”

“What makes you so sure you even can?” Brock asked. “Or that you’ll meet again? A Pokemon like that, something tells me it’s one of those you only meet once in a lifetime.”

“And yet I’ve seen it twice, so I’m luckier than most!”

“Be careful, your luck may run out someday.”

Erika shook her head. “No, I know Ashley and if she says she’s going to catch that Pokemon… I believe her. That girl, whenever she gets something into her head, there’s no stopping her.”

She smiled. Nope, there wasn’t any stopping Ashley now. She would meet that dragon again, and catch it. Erika was certain of it.

Chapter Text

“No, you really don’t have to,” Brock gently argued. “It’s not fair for me to keep your journey waiting. You never even intended to have me along in the first place, this journey was meant to be yours and yours alone, Ashley.”

“And it’s not fair for you to have to trace our steps,” Ashley said, as her reply. “I just don’t want you to have to be lagging behind.”

“There’s only one route between here and your next gym battle,” Brock said. “I should be able to meet up with you in Cerulean City, so you girls get going okay?”

“Riight, because getting lost or getting distracted by something hasn’t happened to no trainer, ever,” Ashley deadpanned. “Between here and Cerulean, any number of a million things could happen on Route 3. I could stumble on a hidden grotto for Pokemon, get lost in the fog, get turned around in another forest. Get lost inside Mount Moon and swarmed by zubats.”

“Ashley’s a bit of a danger magnet,” Erika agreed, with Ashley conceding her point with a bit of a shrug. “Think of anything however unlikely, however extraordinary and it’ll probably happen to her. I’m half expecting her to find a dratini the moment we step out of town by this point.”

“Given what I saw yesterday…” Brock said, a hand under his chin in thought. “I’m inclined to believe you. Actually, that got me thinking, as long as you’re staying in Pewter for a bit, why don’t you visit our local museum. My treat! Give yourself a bit of a history lesson, who knows maybe you’ll find something on that massive white dragon here.”

“Maybe, but history was always one of my worst subjects in school. I could barely sit still for a single lesson,” Ashley said, and sure enough she was tapping her boot against the ground out of pure habit. “I’m amazed I passed with a high enough grade to even get my trainer’s license.”

She paused.

“Oooh, that reminds me,” Ashley said, pulling a pill bottle out of her bag. “Gotta take these, before I forgot. Helps me manage my ADHD, keeps me focused.”

On the bottle was a prescription, reading ‘Methylphenidate’ and Ashley quickly popped one of the pills.

“In hindsight, I suppose it’s actually a good thing it took me this long to figure out I was a girl,” Ashley said with a sigh. “Some dumb idiots think it’s impossible for girls to be neurodivergent, that it’s only a guy thing.”

“Yeah, it’s such a shame, like little Suzie… she’s autistic and it took me forever to get the doctors to recognize that,” Brock said with a sigh. “They were always thinking up some excuse, saying this and that when I know what I’m talking about. They didn’t think I couldn’t tell what my own little sister needed?”

“Hooray for a world ruled by neurotypicals,” Ashley drawled. “Careful, if Suzie wants to become a Pokemon trainer like you, they’ll probably try and say she’s too stupid to become one. A few of my former friends back home said I’d never be able to focus long enough to even get halfway here.”

“It’s ridiculous, that’s what it is,” Brock said as the trio watched as a Kadabra and a Machoke in hard hats helped repair the gym after Ashley’s battle with him. “Some people always have to think their opinion is the right one and only their opinion. Honestly, it’s one of the major problems in the world today, everyone always has to be right about something.”

“Neurotypicals suck,” Ashley said, before blinking realizing who she was talking to. “...sorry, no offense intended. Didn’t mean for you to get in my line of fire.”

“If we’re taking aim at idiots, let me supply the cannonballs,” Brock said, dryly. “Want my advice, if you ever end up dating anyone Ashley, and you don’t have to because there’s nothing wrong with staying single forever-”

“You know, like you.” Ashley snarked.

Brock rolled his eyes. “As I was saying, you don’t have to fall in love with anyone. It shouldn’t be required for anyone to be happy, you can just enjoy the presence of your Pokemon. They can be your companions, n-not like that if you know what I mean. They can be the one you share your heart, your secrets with. …And I’m just digging my own hole deeper at this point aren’t I?”

“...want me to get you a coffin?” Ashley snarked before smiling softly at him. “No, I get what you mean, and thanks… Girls always seem to be pressured to fall in love with the perfect guy. Yuck!”

“Amatonormativity and compulsive hetrosexuality,” Erika sighed. “Double yuck. I haven’t found a guy to fall in love with and I never will. My tastes are more, well I’m into lily flowers actually.”

“You act like that’s one big secret,” Brock said. “I thought all of Kanto knew, given how all of your staff are women. I thought it was just some open secret, y’know?”

“...well, it’s good to see I’m an utter failure at hiding my sexuality from nearly everyone,” Erika said.

“Not that you should have to,” Brock said. “It’s the 21st century, why should anyone care who you date?”

“Idiots always have to find a new way to be stupid, usually men who think of me as a pretty porcelain vase. Something to be kept locked away, and treasured only by them alone,” Erika said with another sigh. “And people wonder why I hate men, present company excluded of course.”

“Back to my original point, Ashley,” Brock said. “If you fall in love with anyone, make sure it’s someone with an actual functioning brain cell you don’t have to hold onto all the time. I could write a book about the secrets of love and heartache, so take it from me, stupid people aren’t worth your time.”

“I guess that book would be your autobiography then, huh?” Ashley snarked, unable to resist.

Erika suppressed a giggle, Hope flatout rolled on her belly laughing as Brock just hung his head.

“...I suppose I’d better get used to this…”

-----

“Are you in position?”

“Yes, we're within sight of the museum now. Do you want us to move in?”

“No Special Agent Domino, wait a little while longer. It’s not time for the operation to begin. If you move in now, you’ll be spotted. It’s important you and Special Agent Cliff do this quickly and quietly,” the boss’ voice crackled over her radio, a helicopter parked on the edge of a ridge overlooking Pewter City. “After the incident in Viridian-”

“Incident?” Domino chuckled. “You mean those two screwups getting their asses kicked by a kid and his Pikachu he just got the day before? I’m surprised you still keep them around after a failure like that. They’re a disgrace to the organization.”

“The child got lucky, it won’t happen again. And please, keep your personal thoughts on their perceived competence to yourself. We, after all, are a family here in Team Rocket.”

“Yes Don Giovanni…” Domino muttered, he was the boss after all.

“Now, wait until I give the signal to commence the operation. After Viridian City, and Silph Co throwing suspicion on us for their illegal logging ventures, every law enforcement organization in the Kanto region has their eyes on us. We need surprise on our side, and a little bit of luck.”

Domino snorted. “You don’t need luck, you have me.”

“It’s true your success rating is unquestioned, but we can’t afford to have eyes on us at this crucial time. Not until the experiment is a success. Project Orion must succeed, only then can we control the entire region and bring peace and stability to Kanto.”

“All under the banner of Team Rocket of course,” Domino’s partner said. “I assume we’ll know the signal when we see it, Don Giovanni?”

“Yes, and it won’t be long now.”

Domino smirked. “It still amazes me that nobody suspects you of being the boss of Team Rocket. Of course, it’s the perfect disguise. Gym leaders are respected, their word taken as gospel. Nobody would ever suspect one of being the head of the most infamous criminal organization in nine regions, least of all you.”

“My other ventures are paying off, all anyone knows me as is a wealthy benefactor to various causes around the country and even an entrepreneur.  Pokémon Land will bring in the organization plenty of much needed cash from unsuspecting tourists, unaware who their money is really funding and what it’s going towards.”

Domino nodded. “Those dopes have no idea their cash will be funneled towards our research, in creating the ultimate Pokemon. Designed only for one thing, to crush any opposition in our way.”

“Assuming it can be done,” Cliff said, frowning in concern. “How do you even plan to control such a deity?”

“It will see me as its father, the very first thing it will do when it opens its eyes is imprint on me, like a baby ducklett. It will be loyal to me and me alone, and follow my orders without question.”

“It sounds like we’re playing god,” Cliff said, worriedly. “I thought only Arceus could create new species of Pokemon. If we’re not careful, this could end in disaster for all of us. Not just Team Rocket, the world. How do you plan to rule over Kanto if there’s no Kanto region left?”

“Rest assured, I’ve taken steps to make sure that won’t happen. Project Orion will be loyal to me, and me alone. It won’t even be able to think for itself, the only thing it’ll be able to think of is furthering the goals of Team Rocket. All of which is a moot point, if you fail to retrieve the target.”

Domino and Cliff shared a grin. “Consider it done, Don Giovanni.”

-----

“Oh wow…” Ashley said, looking up at a rocket, pointed up to the stars. “...that’s the rocket that made the trip to the moon! I had no idea this was even here!”

“That’s only just one of the Pewter City Museum’s magnificent exhibits,” Brock explained. “See this?”

He gestured to a nearby display case, where a hard shell lay cracked in two like an egg.

“...I wonder if there’s a metaphor here for me realizing who I am inside and out,” Ashley pondered.

“This is actually the shell of a Pokemon, called Minior,” Brock explained. “Every year, they descend from the heavens in fantastic showers. There’s actually one coming up soon, if I remember correctly. Mount Moon is a great spot for viewing them, in my personal experience. Every year, my family…” 

He sighed sadly.

“...back when it was, well y’know, we made a trip up there, to watch the stars fall and I’ve tried to keep the tradition alive but well, I’ve just been so busy lately that…”

“I know,” Ashley said, bringing him in for a side hug. “I’m sure your siblings understand, and hey now that your dad’s back… Maybe you can keep the tradition alive.”

“I know, it’s just…” Brock sighed. “Sometimes I wonder what I’ve even done wrong, somehow I feel like it’s my fault for not doing more to keep my parents from separating. That’s, you know, honestly I wonder if that’s the reason why I go after women so much, because my siblings… they need a proper mom. One who won’t…”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Ashley said, kindly. “...trust me, I’m speaking from experience. It took me a long time before I realized dad leaving mom… it didn’t have anything to do with me. He was just an asshole who couldn’t handle the responsibility. He wanted to keep the adventure going, he didn’t want to settle down.”

“I heard someone say once, all children deserve parents but not all parents deserve kids.”

“Truer words have never been spoken,” Ashley said. “I dunno, maybe I’m just thinking out loud here but maybe it’s fate we found each other, Brock. Y’know?”

“You think so?” Brock looked at her questioningly.

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted an older brother.”

“Well, heh,” Brock chuckled. “What’s one more sibling? I’ve already got nine of them.”

Ashley smiled before opening her Pokedex and scanning the remnants of the Minior. “Minior, the Meteor Pokemon. Originally sighted in the Alola region, and first officially cataloged there, Minior originally made its home in the ozone layer. It hurtles to the ground when the shell enclosing its body grows too heavy and it feeds on dust in the atmosphere. The color of its core is said to be determined by the composition of the dust it eats. It will react when touched or called to, but it’s unknown whether such responses indicate consciousness.”

“Oh wow… You said Mount Moon’s the perfect spot to see them falling?” Ashley looked back at Brock.

“Yeah, the next shower is in a few days. Maybe you’ll catch one!”

“...or knowing my luck, catch several…” Ashley mused aloud. “Maybe I should call Professor Oak and warn him in advance. His computer systems barely survived me catching an entire swarm of Beedrill.”

“An entire swarm?” Brock said. “Wow, when you get lucky, you hit the jackpot.”

Ashley blushed red and laughed, rubbing a hand on the back of her head.

“Maybe you’ll meet Jirachi,” Brock said. “I have heard that one sleeps somewhere deep within Mount Moon, they say it can grant any wish you ask for from it.”

“Jirachi, huh…?” Ashley said, tapping a foot against the floor. “Any wish I’d want? …I don’t know where I’d even begin.”

“Jirachi, the Wish Pokémon. Jirachi only awakens for seven days every thousand years. A legend states that Jirachi will make true any wish that is written on the tanzaku attached to its head when it awakens if it is sung to in a voice of purity. If this Pokémon senses danger, it will fight without awakening and can see anyone’s true intent with its true eye on its chest.”

“Wow…” Ashley said in awe, at the Pokedex entry.

“Like I said, it’s just a rumor. So don’t count your Torchics before they hatch, come on this way Ashley. There’s some ancient Pokeballs from Hisui on loan from Sinnoh’s Jubilife Museum that you’ve just got to see.”

“Ancient Pokeballs? Hell yeah, I want to see them!” Ashley said, bouncing in place.

-----

Giovanni stroked his Persian, and smiled.

“It’s time. Proceed with the operation.”

In Pewter, a squad of Rocket grunts threw off their disguises and quickly planted explosives on the generators of the local power plant.

One by one, each generator went up in a fireball and soon darkness blanketed the city.

“The radar system is down, Special Agents Domino and Cliff. Proceed to the target! Don’t let anyone get in your way!”

-----

Ashley and Brock’s eyes widened as the power went out, darkening the museum.

“What the hell?” Brock said, putting on a miner’s helmet with a headlamp. “...did someone forget to pay the electric bill?”

“It’s not just the museum, it’s the entire city!” Ashley said, pointing outside the window. 

“Something’s happened… The generators… Did you hear that rumble just now? They’ve been sabotaged.”

“Wha…? Sabotaged?”

“Pewter City,” Brock said, eyes narrowing. “It’s under attack. Stick close to me, I don’t know what’s going on but we need to find Erika and then a way out of here. I need to see if my siblings are alright.”

“Who would…” Ashley’s eyes widened. “Team Rocket, it’s got to be them!”

“You’re probably right, this museum… it’s filled with rare artifacts, and the Pokemon in my gym… and in the Center, all of them have to be tempting targets. Ashley, I want you to stay out of this.”

“But-”

“Find Erika! Find somewhere safe! You might have fought off those two in Viridian City, but you got lucky. You’re not prepared to deal with any of this, you’re still a new trainer. As the gym leader of Pewter City, I can’t let anything happen to you. Do you hear me? That’s an order!”

Ashley swallowed, before she nodded knowing Brock was right. “Understood. I saw Erika heading off towards the fossils, she said she wanted to read up on ancient grass-type Pokemon.”

“Then that’s where we’re heading as well,” Brock said. “The backup power should kick in shortly, but stay close to me. We can’t get separated, not now.”

Glass shattered above them as they reached a hall with a skylight, the sound of a helicopter somewhere above them. Smoke bombs were thrown through the skylight, leaving both trainers coughing. Two members of Rocket, on lines, descended into the building, their silhouettes barely visible through the smoke.

Ashley’s eyes widened at the mountain of a man stepping out of the smoke, with dark skin and a Pokeball-themed goatee. 

“Apologies for all of this,” the massive man said. “But you have something we want. Don’t worry, you won’t get hurt as long as you don’t stand in our way.”

“But please do try,” the other agent, a blond woman with her hair in ringlets said. “I’d love to steal your Pokemon after defeating you. They’ll all be claimed in the name of Team Rocket. Now, prepare for trouble…”

“And make it double!” Cliff added. “Now here’s our mission, so you’d better listen!”

“To infect the world with devastation!” Domino said.

“To blight all people in every nation!” Cliff added.

“To denounce the goodness of truth and love!” Domino said, flicking one of her ringlets.

“To extend our wrath to the stars above!” Cliff said, crossing his massive beefy arms.

“Special Agent Domino!” said the blonde, with a noblewoman’s laugh. “Oh-hohohohoh!”

“And her equally Special Agent Cliff,” Cliff said, standing firm.

“We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night!” Domino said, marching forwards on high heeled boots.

“Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!” Cliff said, holding out an Ultra Ball.

Ashley’s eyes narrowed even as the backup power kicked in, and lights started to flicker back on.

“Well if it’s a fight you want…” she started to warn.

Brock held up a hand. “No, you’re not ready to fight them, you’re not ready. Go, find Erika!”

“So the Celadon Gym Leader’s here too?” Domino said, backflipping upwards onto the handrails of a ledge on a higher floor. “I guess we’ll just have to nab her Pokemon too if we can. Cliff, handle those boys.”

“Excuse you, I’m a girl!” Ashley snapped.

“Oh, so you’re just deluded then,” Domino shook her head. “You’re one of those confused freaks, who think they’re something like a Pokemon or something. It’s so sad really, people like you should be in an institution.”

Ashley wiped her eyes, fighting back more tears from the cruel words. She was well aware of how much like a boy she still looked like, but to hear it actually pointed out to her…

“Domino,” Cliff asked. “Was that really necessary? Leave her alone. She can be whoever she wants to be.”

“I don’t actually care, Cliff,” Domino said. “Honestly, it’s bad enough that pathetic excuse for a grunt James pretends he’s sometimes a girl. Makes the whole organization look like a joke, as he clowns around like that. I don’t need to see other boys take after him, not sure why anyone would admire that idiot anyways.”

Cliff sighed.

“Go on, deal with them,” Domino said. “Take their Pokemon for Rocket, make that little upstart brat cry. I’ve got work to do.”

She dashed off, even as Cliff enlarged his Pokeball.

“This hero thing you’re trying? It’s about to come crashing down on you. Add my name to your list of weaknesses! I’m sorry, but I can’t let you report our presence here. No witnesses, that was the Don’s orders,” the large man said. “I’ll try to make this quick, it’s the least you two kids deserve. Tyrannitar, I choose you!”

He threw the yellow and black ball, and the massive green reptilian Pokemon appeared with a loud roar that shook the entire building.

“Hyper Beam!”

“Geodude, use Counter!” Brock said, throwing out his Pokeball even as Cliff’s Tyrannitar’s throat began to glow orange.

Geodude held up his hands, a blue screen appearing in front of him as the powerful beam reflected right off of it. The beam rocketed backwards Tyrannitar, and the mighty Rock-type staggered backwards.

“Tyrannitar, use Return!” Cliff said as the massive green reptile rushed towards Geodude.

“Ashley, run for it!” Brock said and without hesitation Ashley broke into a sprint.

She could hear the explosion behind her and realized she was in a lab with a fossil currently inside a revival machine.

Accidentally backing into the machine, she hit the on button by mistake. The machine glowed, before a massive Pokemon, resembling a Donphan but with much larger and greater tusks stumbled out.

The Pokemon trumpeted at her, and Ashley’s eyes widened as she went for her Pokedex.

“There is no data. There are still Pokémon yet to be identified.”

“Well duh!” Ashley said, slapping a hand to her face. “It’s probably so old it went extinct long before the Pokedex even existed!”

The Pokemon rapidly raced towards her, going into Rollout and Ashley raced out of the lab slamming right into Brock.

“Brock, you’re okay! What about…?”

“Cliff? He’s right behind me,” Brock nodded, before hearing a trumpeting sound and seeing the prehistoric Donphan smash through a wall. “...what the… Great, as if it wasn’t dangerous enough already. Ashley, keep running. I’ll handle this.”

He pulled out a Heavy Ball, and enlarged it.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m the Pewter City Gym Leader, anything that happens in my city is my responsibility to handle. Just keep running, and don’t look back!”

-----

Erika heard her before she saw her, and leaped backwards even as Domino came in with a diving kick to the face.

“So you’re Erika, huh?” the blonde agent said, cracking her knuckles. “I’m told you’re more than just a pretty face. You’d better be, because I’d really hate to steal Pokemon from someone so weak.”

“You’ll find that easier said than done,” Erika said, as she blocked another kick from the Special Agent with her palm. As Domino cartwheeled backwards, Erika suddenly dashed forwards striking her in the chest with another palm strike.

The Team Rocket member slid backwards on the floor, before drawing back her fist to punch Erika. Erika sidestepped the attack, and grabbed Domino in a hold before throwing her to the floor. But the Rocket was quick on the recovery and flipped back to her feet. 

“Oh good, so it’s nice to see someone here who will put up a challenge. I was thinking I’d easily deal with all of you, especially that uppity brat who’s pretending he’s a girl. Absolutely disgusting, he’s a disgrace to all of us real girls,” Domino said, snidely.

“Ashley, she is a real girl and I’ll thank you not to insult my adoptive little sister. You may be beautiful on the outside, but on the inside you’re completely ugly,” Erika said. “You disgrace all of us women with your vile words. No wonder Team Rocket took you in, nobody else in polite society would have you!”

“Why you…”

“I’ll deal with you quickly, as graceful as the legendary Fezandipiti and as quickly as his fellow retainer Munkidori,” Erika said. “And your bark is worse than your bite, you’re nowhere near as strong as you think you are. I’ll show you true passion, true strength, such of that of Okidogi’s.”

“I don’t have time to deal with you,” Domino said, pulling out a pure black Pokeball. “Golbat, Astonish!”

A Golbat appeared, flapping in place and let out a loud screech. Erika let out a pained yell, clutching her head, managing to say: “Ichigo, send her away!”

The Lokix leaped in front of Erika, ready to defend his trainer.

“Golbat, return. I don’t need your help to deal with this stupid bug,” Domino said, flipping several times towards the Lokix. Ichigo leaped into a Double Kick only to be knocked into Erika by a kick from Domino herself. “Nor do I have the time to deal with it.”

She heard a low rumble from somewhere else in the museum, looked around the room and smiled as she grabbed a particular fossil. Then, into her radio, she said: “Cliff, we have what we came for, we’re pulling out now!”

“Understood!”

Grabbing a line, Domino was pulled up back towards her helicopter and laughed.

“Mission accomplished, Don. We’re returning to headquarters. We have it, the object.”

-----

As Cliff was pulled up into the helicopter, he recalled his Tyrannitar.

“I’m sorry for cutting this battle short, and give my apologies to your friend for my partner’s crude behavior. I wouldn’t have stolen her Pokemon anyways, I feel wrong stealing from children and her Pokemon weren’t part of the objective anyways.”

Brock meanwhile, held up the Heavy Ball, the prehistoric Donphan contained within. He sighed to himself. At least his siblings were safe, and that’s all that really mattered right now.

-----

“So what’d they steal?” Erika asked, looking at the destroyed exhibit.

“A fossil, containing DNA from one of the most ancient Pokemon in the world,” Brock said. He’d already sent away the prehistoric Donphan to a sanctuary, so it could learn how much the world had changed and be safe from poachers.

“Which one?” Erika asked, getting a sinking feeling.

“It’s called Mew.”

Far away, Giovanni stroked his Persian as he smiled at a successful mission as he looked towards his chief scientist. In a cloning vat, soon a horrifying new powerful Pokemon would begin to take shape. 

“Extract the DNA, and begin the cloning procedure, Doctor Fuji. My ambitions will not be denied! Soon, the world will witness a new kind of Pokemon… The ultimate kind. I think I’ll call it… Mewtwo.”

Chapter Text

Fresh out of Pewter City, our heroes were walking towards their little sister’s next gym battle. The highway ahead of them was endless, many discoveries awaiting them and many adventures to follow.

“Well, you certainly don’t need a map to find your way to Mount Moon,” Erika said, fanning herself in the sunny heat. “You’d have to be blind to miss it!”

Indeed, the massive peak loomed high up over everything, the lonely mountain rising up out of the landscape.

“I’ve always wanted a Clefairy, they’re so elegant… so adorable,” Erika said. “Actually, it’s been a while since I’ve captured a new Pokemon.”

“You just got a Beedrill in Viridian Forest,” Ashley said, glancing at her traveling companion. “That was… oh, a week ago? I wouldn’t exactly call that a while ago.”

“For myself, I mean,” Erika quickly clarified. “Most of my Pokemon that I catch, most of them are meant for challenging trainers during an official gym battle. And yes, while I love raising them, I’d also love a Pokemon just for myself to spoil and pamper.”

“You sound like mom whenever she’s daydreaming about catching a cute Pokemon,” Ashley said. “I don’t really understand it, what kind of Pokemon do you not even battle with?”

“You’ll understand one day,” Erika giggled. “I’m sure there’s a Pokemon you’ll meet one day that you’ll say ‘no, I refuse to let a Pokemon this beautiful and this cute ever dirty themselves in battle’ to.”

Ashley and Brock shared a look, with Hope just letting out a confused “Pika?” of her own.

Ashley shrugged. “I’m sure any of my Pokemon, if I told them they’d be housepets they’d never respect me again.”

Hope nodded along with her trainer’s words, letting out a “Pi-Pika-PIkachu!” Ashley chuckled fondly and let her electric mouse nuzzle up against her cheek. Little sparks flew and the girl grinned.

“It doesn’t even hurt anymore,” Ashley said. “It’s more like a little shock by this point.”

“That’s great, Ashley,” Brock said. “That means your Pikachu trusts you, if it lowered its electricity levels like that. If it were to shock you at full power, your Pikachu would probably-”

“Leave me twitching in pain, my whole body well-done?” Ashley said with a snort as she and Hope shared an amused look. “Trust me, I know. I’ve been on that end of Hope’s shocks as well.”

“Really?” Brock asked. “From the moment I met you, you two looked like you’d spent your whole lives together. I assumed you’d raised her since she was a Pichu fresh from her egg.”

“Hahahaha no, she hated me when we first met. Hope didn’t want anything to do with me,” Ashley chuckled. “Like the very first thing she did when she saw me was to shock both me and Professor Oak at full power, maximum voltage!”

“Wow, really?” Brock said, staring stunned. “What changed?”

“Funny how Spearow flocks have a way of bringing people together, yeah?” Ashley grinned as her Pikachu let out a little ‘Cha!’ of agreement.

“Oh wow, that was you?” Brock’s eyes widened. “I heard about someone capturing an entire Spearow flock earlier this year, and how all of the Spearows had been sent to that organization for disabled trainers. Now that I think about it, I’m not surprised at all you had something to do with it.”

“Well, it was Erika’s idea actually,” Ashley said, with the girl in question blushing a light pink. “I was actually too terrified about Hope’s health to really think straight, much less well…”

Ashley smiled again at her companion slash older sister figure, who replied. “I did the only natural thing, and I couldn’t just leave you to fend for yourself out there in the wilderness. I knew you’d need my help, with apparent luck like yours. After all, not everyone manages to anger an entire Spearow flock on their first day.”

“More than that, you helped me figure out who I was… who I wanted to be,” Ashley said even as Brock stopped a few feet ahead of them. “I don’t know how long I’d have been able to go on, asking myself a question I wouldn’t even know the answer to. I’d have tried to suppress it, but there'd always be that feeling of Wrongness in the back of my mind.”

Erika grasped her hands gently and smiled soothingly, about to say something before Brock beat her to it.

“Ah, this looks like the spot!”

“For what?”

“To make camp for the night, we can cross through Mount Moon in the morning and we should be able to reach Cerulean City by sundown tomorrow,” Brock said. “I’ll start making dinner, my treat while you two start pitching up our tents.”

Ashley nodded, and gave a salute saying: “Yes sir!”

“Actually, if you could,” Brock said. “Could you go get some wood to start a fire? Don’t take too long, because otherwise we’ll eat the food without you! You wouldn’t want to miss dinner, especially not mine!”

Ashley nodded before going off to find wood and even if she felt a bit like a Mudbray she chose not to complain about it. She could hear Erika’s voice in her head, even now saying how proper ladies didn’t complain about any of the tasks they’d been given.

She sighed, right now she still didn’t feel like a proper lady at all. It wasn’t that Erika meant to be pushy, it was just that looking back she had a very different view of womanhood than Ashley did. Which was fine, there wasn’t any wrong way to be a girl, well she hoped not anyways. Agent Domino’s words still echoed in the back of her mind.

“She said I’d been faking,” Ashley said to herself, sitting down on a rock and looking into a nearby river. Her reflection stared back at her and not for the first time Ashley saw just how masculine she still looked. She rubbed her chin and tried not to feel sick when she felt the beginnings of facial hair starting to grow in.

“...I mean, what does it matter? Why do I even want to prove myself to a member of Team Rocket?” Ashley sighed to herself. “I mean, a girl’s a girl and yet…”

She rubbed at her eyes, feeling them start to water. Trying not to cry, she couldn’t meet her reflection in the eye. Just looking at it was a reminder how far she still had to go before anyone would ever even believe she was a girl. Anyone with eyes, she thought to herself disgustedly, could tell even if she was wearing a skirt and girl’s shoes with tights that there was still a boy underneath those clothes. She felt disgusting, she still felt Wrong and like she didn’t quite belong just yet.

“...I could dress myself up in a wig and the fanciest ball gown imaginable and it still wouldn’t disguise the fact of I am what I am,” Ashley sighed. “I feel suffocated, like I’m just wearing a costume and playing pretend. Maybe Domino’s right, maybe I am deluded. Maybe-”

“Ashley Leaf Ketchum,” Erika said sternly as she walked up from behind her. “You know better than to listen to that… woman.”

She curled her lip, looking like she'd been trying to avoid saying another word entirely. Sitting down next to her, and gently wrapping an arm around her, Erika pulled her close.

“You’re not just playing a character, a part in a play,” Erika soothed, running a hand through her hair. “Domino, people like her, you’ll never convince them no matter what you do. If you ask me, they’re the deluded ones. They’re all wrapped up in their own beliefs that they’ll never see anything beyond themselves, they’re so convinced they’re right that to them everyone else must be wrong.”

“...It’s just…”

“Come on, let’s go eat dinner, Brock’s almost done and a good meal will cheer you up and get your mind off that woman,” Erika said. “I had Meadow grab some firewood, I had a feeling something was wrong when you didn’t come back after a few minutes.”

“...Yeah, something’s wrong alright,” Ashley mumbled even as she ate dinner, her own anxieties still eating away at her. “With me. I’m not… I’m not the person I should be, the person I want to be.’

“These things take time, and once you get permission from your mom to be injected with Ditto cells,” Brock said, comfortingly, the food sat on an unfolding table. “”Well before you know it, you’ll be everything you dreamed to be.”

A Zubat chirped as it flew next to Brock, flapping its wings and darting around his head.

“Heh, guess you heard me talking about food,” Brock said, before dipping a spoon into a bowl of soup and holding it out to the little bat. “Here you go little guy, eat up. Everyone needs a hot fresh meal every now and then, even Pokemon!”

The Zubat chirped happily and hung upside down from a nearby tree, hanging near Brock’s head.

“It looks like he likes you,” Erika smiled. “I think you’ve made a new friend, maybe you should try capturing him. Didn’t you leave most of your Pokemon behind at the gym anyways?”

“Yeah, most of them. Honestly most of them aren’t mine anyways, they belong to the gym. Onix, Geodude and Grotle are pretty much the only ones I actually own,” Brock said. “The rest, they’re in the family, to put it another way. Suzie’s pretty much claimed Skiddo as her starter one day, and-”

“Bet Suzie is always taken seriously as a girl,” Ashley sighed, knowing it was a little ridiculous to be jealous of a little girl. “She’s lucky that way.”

“Ashley…” Erika said sadly. “Give it time, the greatest things in life, they take time. You can’t rush this, no matter how much you want to.”

“I know, I just wish…” Ashley started before she sat up from the table, with her eyes widening. “Of course, how’d I even forget? Jirachi, it’s supposed to be sleeping somewhere in this mountain right? It can grant any wish, right? I’ll just ask for it to make me into a girl!”

“But Ashley,” Brock said. “It sleeps for a thousand years, I don’t think just anything can wake Jirachi up! Besides, it’s only just a rumor. Jirachi may not even be here! Don’t you think someone would have found it by now if that was true?”

“Maybe I’ll be the first!” Ashley grinned.

“But you’d still have to wake it up!” 

“Well then,” Ashley said, grabbing Hope who let out a squeak of shock. “That’s what a good Thunder Shock’s for, right?”

“Wait up! Ashley!” Brock shouted in concern, even as the young trainer dashed off.

“Oh dear…” Erika sighed, pulling out a Pokeball and calling out her Gloom. “I’d guess we’d better go after her. Rafflesia, watch the campsite! If anyone tries to steal anything, you know what to do!”

-----

Up above, floated a certain balloon. Even after being twisted into human pretzels in the Viridian Forest by a certain Machamp, the trio still stalked their prey.

“...A pokemon who can grant any wish huh?” Jessie said, looking through her binoculars towards the entrance of Mount Moon. “Imagine what the Boss would do if we brought in Jirachi! If it’s asleep, we should have no trouble nabbing it for ourselves~!”

“Yeah, but if it’s asleep, how is the boss supposed to wake it up and use it to grant his wish, huh Jessie?” James said, as she looked over at her partner. “Did you think of that?”

“The Boss is the Boss, he has his ways,” Jessie waved a gloved hand dismissively. “I heard rumors of a certain experiment he’d love to perfect, and just think about it! Jirachi would be able to grant his wish and make it see success!”

“Hey Jessie, I just thought of something,” James said as she grinned. “If Jirachi can grant any wish, why don’t we, y’know, give it a little bit of a test run? To see if it’s really true? After all, if it can’t, what’s the point in even stealing Jirachi in the first place?”

“It’s still a rare Pokemon, and rare means extremely valuable,” Jessie said. “But you do raise a good point, James. It doesn’t happen often, but it seems there’s still a few neurons firing in that tiny brain of yours.”

“So what would you even wish for?” James asked as she looked at her partner. “Just curious. I mean, I know what I’d wish for. The love and respect of my colleagues, or at least rare Pokemon so that I can prove I’m a real member of Team Rocket. But what about you Jess, huh?”

Jessie swallowed, she knew what she’d wish for and that was to meet her mother. The Boss, she’d said she died long ago when searching for Mew. Agent Violet Lily, AKA Domino’s predecessor had been a high ranking member of the original Team Rocket before Giovanni had taken control. She, from all she’d heard from her colleagues, had been the best of the best, an active-duty Class A Rocket special agent.

Jessie remembered faint memories, a lovely smile and dark purple hair and a simple phrase she’d summed up her life with. Something her mother had made sure to repeat to her every night before bed.

Step one: Profit.

Step two: Economize.

Step three: Pokémon!

She’d been the first Rocket to ever record actual proof of Mew’s existence, while exploring the Paldean mountains she’d heard a cry from a mysterious Pokemon. It matched no other on record, and could have only been the cry of the New Species Pokémon. Then, tragedy struck. While searching for a photograph of Mew, she’d been buried in an avalanche.

Jessie had never seen her mother again. The Boss said he was still searching for her, though Jessie knew better. That was a lie to keep her loyal to Team Rocket, and every year that passed… her loyalty wavered a little more.

But if Jirachi could really grant any wish…

Maybe she could see her mother’s smile again.

“Just… stuff,” Jessie replied to James.

“Just stuff huh?” James said, and Jessie knew that her partner didn’t really believe her.

“Yeah… just stuff,” Jessie said softly before her voice hardened. “And that Twerpette, if she thinks she’s going to meet Jirachi and make her wish before I do… She’s got another thing coming! James, prepare to attack!”

Jessie ignored the tears in her eyes, and didn’t care if James saw her cry. She would not be denied!

Not by that Twerpette.

Not by anyone.

It was time to show those idiots that she was a real member of Team Rocket just like them.

And best of all, that bitch Domino would be begging to learn her secrets when she saw her with Jirachi in hand.

-----

“Maybe Brock’s right, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself,” Ashley said to herself as she wandered the caverns, Zubat flying past her for their nightly hunt. “Maybe it is just a rumor, a story. But all stories, well they have to come from somewhere… Right?”

Just looking at herself in the reflection of a crystal, she was given an unwanted reminder of just why she was looking around in this cavern to begin with.

Ashley reached out with a hand to touch her reflection, and sighed.

“Maybe one day… I won’t have to look at you in the mirror…”

That’s when she was knocked off her feet by an explosion, and coughing and wheezing she saw two very familiar figures in the smoke.

“Good job Billy, return!” Jessie’s voice said as she recalled her Voltorb. “Hello Twerpette, miss us?”

“Not really!” Ashley said, as Hope got in a battle stance and bared her tiny fangs at the two Team Rocket grunts. “What are you doing here?”

“A truly twerpette question indeed! The answer’s to come as soon as I feel the need! I’d say you have to prepare for trouble!”

“And make it double!” James added, with a rose in her hands and in the standard female uniform of Team Rocket. 

“To protect the world from devastation!”

“To unite all peoples within our nation!”

“To denounce the evils of truth and love!”

“To extend our reach to the stars above!”

“Jessie!”

“And James!”

“Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light!”

“Surrender yourself or prepare to fight!”

“Meowth, that’s right!” Nyasu said, striking a pose.

“Yeah yeah, I’ve heard this motto before and I’ve heard Domino and Cliff’s version. I have to say, theirs is better!” Ashley snarked, knowing that’d really tick the two off given how much they seemed to prize their… unique motto.

“Why you little… why don’t you come over here and say that again to our faces?” Jessie said, quickly regaining control over her temper. “If you want to criticize our motto, Twerpette, don’t do it from over there!”

“Yeah, what’s the motto with you?” their Meowth grinned. “Youse got a problem with poetry and theater?”

“No, just a problem with you three!” Ashley said. “You’re not stealing any Pokemon, least of all Jirachi!”

“Well, how can you steal something that technically doesn’t belong to anyone?” Jessie said. “Jirachi’s waited a long time for someone to find it, and maybe that should be me. It certainly shouldn’t be you, kid. James, make sure she doesn’t get far and warn her friends!”

“Pika!” Hope said, leaping towards the twosome.

“I don’t think so. Kisame, use Toxic and then Return!” James said, calling out the little isopod. Purple gunk spewed out of the little Pokemon’s mouth, and Pikachu let out a cry of pain. In a shocking burst of speed, Kisame darted forwards and smashed Pikachu into a wall.

“James, now that the little rat’s out of the fight, let’s get to the top of the mountain!” Jessie said. “There’s a meteorite that crashed up there centuries ago, Jirachi has to be inside!”

“Oh no you don’t!” Ashley said, using her own Tackle attack and knocking Jessie to the ground. Jessie kicked her square in the face before Ashley bit down on her leg through her boot.

“This again?” Jessie snarled, a truly venomous look on her face. “You’ve got a real death wish, Twerpette! James, get her off of me!”

“Truly sorry about this, young lady but between you and me, I’m afraid of Jessie more than I am of you,” James said, as she pried Ashley off her cohort. Only to be punched in the face.

“Owwwww, I think she broke my nose!” James cried, stumbling backwards. 

“Ugh, fine, I’ll do it myself. Hemlock, freeze her in place with your Glare attack!” Jessie said, calling out her Ekans.

The coiled snake rose up and made a truly frightening expression. Ashley couldn’t move, she could barely breathe with the Ekans resembling a demon more than a Pokemon.

“Zubat, Screech attack now!” came a familiar voice, and a loud shriek cut through the cavern causing both Jessie and James to cover their ears. Brock rushed in, quickly spraying Hope with an antidote to cure the poison.

“You two again,” Erika said, barely managing to hide her distaste. “You two seem to turn up like bad pennies, and in the oddest of places. If you’re looking for Jirachi, you’ll have to get through us first.”

“I know another thing to wish for,” Jessie snarled. “To get rid of you interfering twerps and twerpettes permanently! James, come on!”

“Race you to the top!” James said, as she ran after her.

“Well… what are we waiting for?” Ashley said, pulling out another Pokeball. “After them!”

-----

“Billy, blow it open with Explosion!” Jessie said, summoning her Voltorb as she looked at the massive meteorite still sitting in a crater untouched for centuries.

“Jessie, wait,” James said as she eyed the meteorite. “What if you blow up Jirachi too?”

Jessie snorted.

“Jirachi’s no ordinary Pokemon, it’ll survive and besides this may serve as it’s five-o-clock wake up call anyways!”

Then that’s when she heard the buzzing sound and looked up to see a Beedrill glaring down at her.

“A Beedrill?” James said blankly before her eyes widened in fear as it registered a moment later. “A BEEDRILL?”

“Oh, he looks angry,” Jessie said. “Hemlock, deal with him!”

Her snake Pokemon hissed and leapt up towards the bug-type only for Ashley to call out an attack.

“Mustard, Twineedle!” 

The bug-type fired off a series of spikes at Ekans, pinning the snake in one spot by the tail.

“Billy, Spark now!” Jessie said, and her Voltorb fired off an electric jolt at Beedrill who flew up and over it. Landing next to his trainer, the bug-type continued to buzz angrily.

“You’re not getting Jirachi, now or ever!” Ashley said, throwing out her arm in a declaration of protection. “Any wish you’d make, it’ll be selfish and no good for anyone!”

“Except myself, of course,” Jessie grinned. “I won’t tell you the wish, because I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. You don’t have a right to know anyways!”

“I called first dibs, I’m going to wish for Jirachi to make me into a real girl!” Ashley said, ignoring the tears building up in her eyes again. “Then Domino… nobody will ever be able to question my identity ever again!”

“Uh… Jess?” James said as she looked at her cohort. “Maybe we should step aside, that wish of hers… Maybe we should let Jirachi grant it first. For the Twerpette’s sake, what harm could it do anyway?”

“Ugh… No, if Jirachi grants one wish tonight, it’ll be mine!” Jessie said venomously before her expression and tone softened. “Besides kid, you don’t need to prove yourself to that woman. Domino’s so wrapped up in herself, she wouldn’t care who you are. You’re just a brat to her, boy or girl. You’re only standing in her way, why should you have to prove anything to her?”

“I can’t believe I’m agreeing with a member of Team Rocket…” Erika said, quietly stunned.

“It’s not just her…” Ashley said. “I can hear the whispers at my back, see the looks sent my way. I know what they’re thinking, saying about me. I just want them to stop.”

“Take my advice, prove them wrong with your own ability,” Jessie said. “Nobody cares who you were born as if you’re a competent enough trainer. This will be the only time you’ll hear me say this, girl so remember it.”

“Maybe…” Ashley said. “But I’m not letting you take Jirachi! You’ll give it to your boss, to Team Rocket and it doesn’t deserve that! I don’t care what wish you were going to make, Jirachi’s staying right where it is! Mustard, Fury Attack! Hope, Thunder Shock! Make Team Rocket see stars!”

Her Beedrill buzzed angrily and struck the TRio’s pokemon again and again with his stingers before flying out of the way. Hope was glowing golden, before letting out a powerful arc of electricity sending the TRio and their Pokemon flying.

“...well, that was quite a shocking experience. But she was right, because it looks like we are seeing stars,” Jessie said. “They’re really pretty tonight, we should be able to get a good view when we crash land!”

“Yeah, because WE’RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!” the TRio cried, becoming a twinkle in the night sky.

-----

“Iron Tail, again!” Ashley said, as her Pikachu smashed into the meteorite with another silver strike from her tail. Already, the little mouse looked exhausted and was panting and sweating.

“Ashley, just give it up. You haven’t made any headway at all, I don’t think Hope’s Iron Tail is ever going to even crack that thing,” Brock said. “You’re just going to make her faint at this rate.”

“But she has to! I have to see Jirachi, I have to see if she’s inside, I just have…” Ashley said before becoming a sobbing wreck in Brock’s arms.

“Listen, I understand how you feel, but…” Brock sighed, hoping he could do this. Be the older brother that he knew Ashley needed right now and say what she needed to hear. “I know this is hard to hear, but you can’t take shortcuts in life. Jirachi, let’s assume it is in there. Let’s assume Hope somehow breaks through to it and somehow you wake it up. Do you really think Jirachi would be able to grant the wish, at least without some catch? In every story I’ve read, genies granting you a wish never ends well, or how you’d expect. It may end up backfiring on you. How do you know Jirachi won’t take away another trans girl’s womanhood as a matter of exchange?”

“...well, when you put it that way…” Ashley said, looking horrified. “No, you’re right. I can’t do that, it’d be far too cruel.”

“It’s the same reason why I’d never ask Jirachi to make a Nurse Joy or an Officer Jenny love me,” Brock said with a sigh. “I’ve thought about this a lot, believe me. Look, my siblings, they need a mom but… I can’t just take a shortcut, if Jirachi granted my wish, it’d be just like brainwashing the woman in question. They’d be utterly devoted to me, sure, but it wouldn’t be the real thing. They have families of their own, I can’t take that away from them.”

“Yeah…” Ashley said, with a sigh. “...this really stinks, you know that right? It’s just not fair.”

“Life sadly, as I’ve learned,” Brock said as the two sat down next to the meteorite. “Hardly ever is.”

“Ain’t that the truth…” Ashley mumbled before showers of stars began to fall across the sky. Her eyes widened in awe. “Hey, are those…?”

“Yeah, that’s them. The Minior shower, right on cue. They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”

Ashley nodded, watching the rainbow streaks of light fall from the heavens.

“I guess this night isn’t a total bust, we get to see shooting stars even if they’re not the Pokemon I meant to see tonight,” Ashley said as she looked inside her bag for more Pokeballs. “...say, I have an idea. Erika, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I think I am,” the woman smiled, happy to see Ashley bounce back so quickly. “Domino may not believe you’re one, but I think you’re one of the best girls in the entire region. One day, you’ll be as much of a star as Jirachi.”

-----

“...well, that went well,” James mumbled, crumpled in a heap. “That kid, she beat us again. That’s twice in a row. Maybe third time’s the charm?”

“You know James, you don’t have to wish for respect or for anything from those worthless ingrates in the rest of Team Rocket,” Jessie said, with Nyasu nodding. “You don’t need their friendship, you’ve got us. We’re all the top of the bottom, the top of the trash heap!”

Her Wimpod nuzzled up against her trainer, with Blight bumping up against James affectionately as well.

“Yeah, what Jess said,” Nyasu agreed, snapping his fingers. “Youse don’t have to prove yourself to us! We already know youse, and how pathetic youse are! If those idiots can’t see quality, then that’s their problem. Let me tell you a story, I learned to talk to impress this really pretty female Meowth, she ended up leaving me for a Persian anyways. Don’t try to impress people who aren’t worth it, it’ll only end up leavin’ you feeling like a real fool in the end.”

“I suppose… Thanks, I love you all!” James said, as she brought her Pokemon, Nyasu and Jessie in for a hug.

“...so about that wish Jess…” Nyasu said. “Wanna talk about it?”

“I suppose, if I have to,” Jessie said with a sigh. “First, I need to talk about my mother. Her name was Miyamoto, and she was one of the best Rocket had to offer…”

Chapter Text

We find our trio near Cerulean City, the resort city nestled within the hills. It looked like paradise, nestled within the rolling green hills that hid a deep, winding cave system beneath the surface. Outside of the caves was where our heroes were now, soft blue waters gently lapping against a riverside  shoreline.

“Pika!” Hope said, bouncing a volley-ball back to Erika with a flick of her tail. “Chu-pi!”

“Looks like she’s having a ball, huh?” Brock joked, holding out a berry to his still freshly-caught Zubat. “Wow, you like these things, don’t you? You’re probably going to clear me out, aren’t you bud?”

The Zubat chirped and nuzzled up against his trainer affectionately. 

“If you keep eating these, you’re going to turn into one soon!” Brock said. “Soon I won’t have a Zubat, but a Razzbat! …huh, what do you think bud? Razzberry, what do you think about that, as a name?”

The Zubat let out a happy squeak before flying off with one of Brock’s donuts.

“Hey, my donut!” the older teen said. “Zubat used Thief and it’s super effective…”

Ashley could only laugh as she did her morning stretches.

Soon the group were heading back towards the city proper. Rejoining civilization, the trio were greeted by a massive billboard.

“Cerulean City,” Ashley read off it. “The Floral Lagoon City.”

On another nearby billboard, the end of a ad was playing. On it, the youngest of the four Waterflower sisters flashing a peace sign on the back of her massive gyarados.

“Huh, so she finally got one, huh?” Brock said. “I might have to test my own skills against her sometime. Still, I’m surprised.”

“Surprised by what?” Ashley blinked, with Hope tilting her head curiously.

“Well, Misty, she’s always been afraid of Gyarados since she was a little girl,” Brock replied. “I didn’t realize she’d actually gotten over her fear. I wonder what changed?”

“Heh, well it’s not like Gyarados are anything to be afraid of, right bud?” Ashley grinned, as she petted her Pikachu. “4x weakness to electric attacks, if she tries to use it against us she’s going to be in for a shocking surprise!”

“I wouldn’t count your Torchics before they hatch, Ashley,” Brock advised. “Misty’s a strong trainer, she’s come a long way in the past few years, and really turned her gym around.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh right, you wouldn’t remember,” Erika said. “This was a few years ago, her sisters used to be the ones running the gym. Well, when I say running the gym, they uh, oh how do I put this…?”

“It wasn’t really a gym really,” Brock said, shaking his head. “They’d turned the gym into their own pool for synchronized swimming shows. Honestly, I was worried the gym would get shut down the next time the yearly inspection came around.”

“...seriously?” Ashley said, sounding actually rather offended. “Misty’s sisters turned a gym into… That’s just insulting, for both trainers and their pokemon who came all this way to… what, did they give out badges for free as well?”

“Pretty much.”

“Aw come on!” Ashley groaned. “Did they not even care? That’s just wrong, on so many levels.”

“Like I said, the gym was on the verge of being shut down,” Brock said with a sigh, rubbing his temples. “They wouldn’t have even made it past the first hour before the Joy from the League shut them down.”

“Joy?” Ashley blinked. “As in Doctor Joy?”

“Yeah, every year the League sends an inspector, a Joy with powerful Pokemon to see if the gym leaders are keeping their Pokemon in shape. Last year, one came around with a Latias. Nearly defeated me,” Brock said. “Nearly.”

“Yeah, because you were too starstruck by Joy’s beauty, weren’t you?” Erika said, snarkily.

Ashley could only wonder what the big deal was. Sure, the Joy family was pretty but they weren’t that pretty.

She halted in her tracks, looking up at the billboard of Misty and she blushed. Ashley’s eyes followed up her long legs, and realized just how good the orange-haired teenager looked in her swimsuit.

“Treat your Pokemon right,” the ad said as she stroked her Psyduck’s feathers. “And they’ll treat you in kind.”

“I see the beautiful mermaid Misty is as popular around here as ever,” Erika said before spotting the look on Ashley’s face, thinking to herself: “Hehehe, it seems you’re blossoming into a lily flower, Ashley!”

“What?” Ashley looked back at her. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, don’t mind me,” Erika said. “Don’t you have a gym battle to get to? Your next badge won’t just fall out of the sky.”

Ashley grinned and punched her fist into an outstretched, open hand. “Alright, time to make sushi out of this mermaid. Hope and I are going to sweep her gym!”

Erika sighed, gently knocking Ashley on the head with her fan. “How many times have I told you, a lady must always be humble. Besides, before you challenge anybody, your Pokemon need rest and recuperation in a proper bed after Mount Moon. Type advantages aren’t everything, Misty’s trained her Pokemon to resist electric attacks. She’s not your average trainer who will just fall that easily.”

Ashley sighed, rubbing the top of her head. “Sorry Erika…”

—---

Entering the Pokemon Center, the trio were greeted with a lazy-looking member of the Joy clan. As she sat behind the counter, her hair wasn’t even up in the usual style and just hung past her shoulders. With a yawn, the Joy barely looked up from her newspaper. Her name tag read ‘Samantha’. 

“Hello, welcome to the Pokemon Center. Please state the nature of your medical emergency. My name is Samantha Joy and I’ll get to you as soon as I can.”

Ashley sweat-dropped, looking at her starter who shared a similar skeptical look. Hope let out a concerned: “Pika-pi?”

“I know, I hear you bud, but she’s a licensed member of the Joy family so everything should be just fine right?”

Erika stepped forwards. “This is Ashley for her second gym badge and we’re all here for a checkup after venturing through Mount Moon.”

Samantha let out another yawn, barely looking up at her. “Did you say Ashley? Could you give me your full name?”

Ashley blinked before replying: “Uh, Ashley Leaf Ketchum?”

Samantha nodded “Yeah, I thought so. I've got a package for you here, hold on a second. CINDI, GET IN HERE!”

An eight-foot tall mountain of a Machamp, dressed in a nurse’s uniform walked in, carrying a package in her four arms.

Samantha handed a rather nervous Hope and Ashley’s other Pokeballs to her Machamp. Turning back to Ashley, she handed her the package.

“Your mom sent these ahead of you, said you’d need new pairs of clean underwear,” Ashley blushed at the Joy’s words as Erika giggled behind her. “And she also asked for you to call her as soon as you can.”

Ashley turned razz berry red, nodding. Erika for her part, was at war with herself. On one hand, she was trying to suppress her giggles and not laugh too hard and just nod in sympathy. On the other, Delia was hilarious at how accidentally embarrassing she was to her daughter.

“I… yeah, I’ll call her right now,” Ashley said, her face still a bright red. “Thanks for telling me.”

—----

Ashley, sitting in front of the phone, tapped her foot against the floor antsily. 

“Come on mom… pick up, pick up…” she said, somewhat irritably. “I don’t have all day, I’ve got a gym battle to win. This should be easy, I don’t want to be held up! I want to win!”

“Oh hi honey!” her mom said, finally picking up. In the background, Mimey was carrying plates. “I’m so glad you called! Did you get your underwear? I found the cutest matching pikachu themed bra and panties and made sure to get you three pairs! I also found that line that Diantha promotes and I got 3 pairs of those as well!I know how much you admire her. I tried to look up online the brand Cynthia wears but I couldn't find it. Hmmm, maybe I should see if I can find her number and just call her”

Ashley was as red as could be, her face looking like a Cherish Ball and prayed to Arceus to be struck down with one of His attacks. “Uh yea, I got the package mom thanks but what was it you wanted me to call for?”

Her mom was still rambling on about underwear, only stopping to say: “OH! Right, I managed to set you up an appointment so you can get yourself set up with a D cells prescription. Cerulean City has one of the leading experts in the Kanto region on gender dysphoria.”

Ashley felt her eyes begin to grow watery again, and as she dabbed at them she could barely speak.”You did? Mom… You did that for me?”

She felt a wave of pure bliss wash over her, the world feeling just right in that moment. 

“I…” Ashley sniffled, at a bit of a loss for words. “Thanks mom…”

“Anything to help my daughter blossom into her true self,” her mom said. 

“It’s that easy, huh?” Ashley asked.

“Well of course it is silly, it's not like there are crusty old men blocking access to any of this stuff, are there?”

Ashley started to cry tears of joy. Finally! Finally, this sickening tightness she has felt for so long would start to go away. Once again, she pictured that blooming flower inside her starting to blossom, and grow stronger. Wiping away more tears, her voice wavered even as she spoke.

“Mom, thank you so much, you’re just so good to me even if you do embarrass me sometimes. You’re the best mom in the world and I just love you so much. I know I’m not always the best so… daughter but I love you so much and I just want you to be proud of me.”

Her mom smiled. “Oh honey… I’ve always been proud of you, since the day you were born. Your stubborn, stupid father refused to see it, but I do. I would do anything for you Ashley, you're my entire world.”

In the background, her Meowscarada looked offended.

“I know, I love you too, Gatito,” Delia said, stroking the cat’s head as he let out a ‘mraaooowww’. Satisfied, the grass cat walked off.

“Oh mom, check this out” she flipped open her badge case to show off the gleaming, shining, sparkling boulder badge inside: “I got my first badge on my first try. That's how amazing of a trainer I am. Later today I’ll have taken down Misty too! You’re talking to a future world champion, and I’m going to absolutely crush anyone in my way. Not even Gary’s going to stop me on my climb to the top!”

Her mom smiled. “I'm proud of you dear but don't let your victories go to your head. Listen to your mother, the voice of experience. Treat every battle as if it's a championship match and never assume victory until your opponent’s last Pokemon falls.”

Ashley, of course, was only half listening. “Yeah yeah, I know mom. You sound like Erika.”

“Well, Erika is a very intelligent young lady. Yes, she might be a bit… overbearing but she’s one of the top trainers in Kanto for a reason. I wish I had a mentor like her when I was starting out,” Delia sighed. “You’re lucky, Ashley. Don’t take her for granted.”

The two chatted for a while before eventually Ashley hung up.

“...I’m so lucky,” Ashley said to herself in thought. “I’ve got the best mom ever, I have to win today. I promised her I would and I don’t want to let her down. If I’m ever going to surpass dad… I have to do this, I just have to. Mom never got to see her dream realized, the least I can do is make sure she sees mine. Mom… You should have been Kanto’s champion, and mark my words. A Ketchum will take Lance’s title.”

Far away, back in Pallet Delia smiled to herself. “I do hope I sent her enough underwear. Still… What did she mean that I embarrass her sometimes? That’s impossible, I just want to tell her how much I love her. I’m sure she knows.”

—----

Erika meanwhile, was standing near a magazine rack idly flipping through flower and garden magazines while she waited on Doctor Joy to return. Suddenly, she was Tackled to the floor by a burst of red and blue. It was super-effective.

“Gyaaaaaaah!” Erika shouted, seeing Starlys. 

“ErikaerikaerikaitsgreatwonderfulfanatsticimgettingDcellpillsbecausemymomsetupanappointment,” Ashley said, her mouth going a mile a minute.

Erika tried to decipher all of that, though apparently a certain teenager knew Extreme Speed as well judging by her verbal vomit. 

“Ok, first let me get up please,” Ashley blushed and rubbed a hand through her hair, laughing in embarrassment.

“Hehehehe, sorry. Was just so excited.”

“I can tell,” Erika deadpanned. “Now take a deep breath, and tell me again.”

Ashley sucked in a breath, even as she paced back and forth trying to explain what had just happened. 

“My mom set me up an appointment with a doctor here in Cerulean to help get me a D cell prescription!” Ashley said, bouncing in place.

Erika pulled her in for a hug. “I’m so happy for you!”

Ashley smiled back, nodding and a little teary again.

“Th-thanks and sorry I tackled you, I was just so excited,” she blushed. “Thanks Erika, for helping me get this far. I know I don’t say it often enough but…”

“No problem,” Erika said. “It’s my job as a gym leader, and fellow woman to look out for a girl taking her first steps into both Pokemon training and femininity.”

“Thanks for not smacking me with the fan, by the way…”

“Do you want me to?” Erika teased.

“Me and my big mouth…” Ashley sighed.

Then, Samantha and her Machamp returned.

“Here you go,” the Joy said with a yawn, handing over their Pokeballs. “Nothing you should have been worried about, just standard fatigue. Thank you for using the Cerulean City Pokemon Center, please come again!”

She yawned again.

“Speaking of fatigue…” the Joy said, going back to her desk and laying her head back. “I need a nap… Cindi, take over for me will you…?”

“...please come again?” Ashley blinked, looking at Brock. “...it’s like she expects me to get creamed.”

“She’s just being polite, don’t worry,” Brock said.

“Well, she doesn’t need to worry! I’m going to sweep the whole gym, right Hope?”

“Pika!”

“Listen, you two go on ahead,” Brock said, waving them off. “I’ve got some supplies I need to restock on, we’re running a bit low on a few things and it’s a long way to the next city.”

He smiled.

“Besides, I get the feeling I’ll be imposing if I come along,” Brock said. “Your next stop, it seems like it should be just you two, y’know?”

Which was how both girls found themselves in front of a receptionist’s desk. Behind the desk was a goth-looking person. Their name plate read ‘Masha’, listing their pronouns as they/them.

They were doing their nails, which were the colors of the non-binary pride flag. They leaned forwards, brushing a strand of dark hair out of their face.

“Welcome, your mom booked an appointment under…” Masha checked their computer, their shirt reading ‘CHS’ with an Omastar on it. “Is one of you Ashley Leaf Ketchum?”

“That’s me!” Ashley said, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. “...crap crap crap, I forgot to ask my mom who I’m here to see!”

Masha starts typing away the keyboard clickety-clacking as they typed away. “Let’s see, it looks like you're here to see Dr. Satoko and you’re in luck actually. She had a cancellation so she can see ya now.”

“...Huh, sounds like the name Mom wanted for me, before she changed her mind. Sato… something or other,” Ashley thought aloud.

Masha’s feet were up on the desk, showing a skirt and tight leggings.

“Do you want me to come with you, Ashley or do you want me to wait here?” Erika asked.

“No… I want you with me,” Ashley said, hugging her close. “You’re kinda like my big sister, even with how you get on my case about not being a proper lady whatever that means.”

Erika teared up a little, and returned the hug. “Thanks… I’ve always wanted a little sister, and it’s my honor to be your big sis when you needed one.”

A short time later, the two young women and a Pikachu were sitting in a patient room. A tall woman, with dark hair entered the room and to Ashley’s shock she had a Pikachu on her shoulder as well. Looking up at the gorgeous women, Ashley wondered if that’s what she’d look like in a few years.

“Hello, I'm Dr. Satoko, and you must be Ashley and,” the doctor said in a pleasant voice “Oh you’re the Celadon City gym leader. I wasn’t expecting to see you here, I take it you’re acting as support for young Ashley?”

“As her sister,” Erika said, proudly as Hope and the doctor’s Pikachu chased each other around the room.

“Well I only recently learned being transgender was even, heh well a thing but I’ve always felt like something was off. Like I was wearing shoes one size too small.

Satako nodded as she explained the whirlwind the past few weeks had been for the young trainer.

The doctor chuckled as she smiled. “Most trainers, they don’t go through half of the stuff you do in a whole year. It seems you don’t do anything by halves, do you? Well I think it should be alright to get you a standard prescription for D-cells. They should be ready for you to pick up tomorrow.”

Ashley felt her heart rate, and before she could stop herself, she hugged the doctor tightly. “Thank you thank you thank you…”

“It’s okay dear, it’s what I’m here for. You’re not the first, I’m just happy your egg hatched.”

“...egg? I’m not a Pokemon from a nursery…”

Erika and the doctor laughed.

—--

Ashley was dancing. Literally dancing as she exited the clinic. In fact, she danced all the way to the rather large gym. All around her, billboards advertised the next water ballet starring Misty the Battling Mermaid. 

“Well well well if it isn't Ashley, late as usual. So I’m guessing you’re to watch me in my glorious rematch victory over Misty?”

Ashley groaned, hearing the most hated voice in the world to her. The voice, belonging to the most vile, disgusting person she’d ever known.

“Hi Gary…” Ashley said before drawling sarcastically: “I thought today was too nice, if I’m being honest. So, as if on cue…”

“Pi pika pi!” Hope said, giving Gary a ‘look’ and snapping her fingers in disappointment.

“So what are you doing here?” Ashley said. “Huh, Gare-bear? What, did you want to laugh at my supposed inevitable defeat? Or did you just want to gloat and rub your new victory in my face like always? Gotta say Gare, you’re getting predictable.”

“Hah, well yeah you’re right about the inevitable defeat part. Did you hear me, or are you lost in your own head again?” Gary said. “I said, are you here to watch my rematch? Maybe you’ll learn something, so stick around.”

Ashley started to laugh, slapping her knee. “Wait rematch as in a 2nd match? The great Gary LOST? The super star trainer, the Pride of Pallet and grandson of Professor Oak LOST? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“PI PI PIPIPIP,” Hope rolled off Ashley’s shoulder laughing as well.

Gary just rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I lost, so what?”

“Misty can’t be so tough, if she can beat you! Just watch and learn, Gary…” Ashley said, patting him on the shoulder. “Maybe this time you’ll learn something huh? Stand aside, let a real Pokemon trainer show you how it’s done.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. The only one walking away from this gym with a badge will be me. You’re right, Ashley, I am the Pride of Pallet meaning I’m an ace trainer. Me and my Squirtle, Leonardo have been training non-stop so just watch, Ashley. You should probably take notes, not that it’ll help. After all,” Gary said, rather smugly. “If I couldn’t beat Misty on my first try, what hope do you have? Better go back to Pallet, before you embarrass yourself.”

“No way Gary, I was here first you can wait till I’ve had MY match” Ashley shouted angrily, the two drawing quite a lot of attention from passersby.

“You’re making a scene, Ashley. Proper ladies don’t do that,” Gary said, mockingly.

“I’m making a scene?” Ashley rolled her eyes. “You’re the one who’s bragging about being the super star grandson of Professor Oak. It’s a shame you’re considered handsome, for someone with such an ugly personality. I swear, you’re the reason gene pools need lifeguards.”

"Sorry Ashley girl, but I registered for my rematch so I have a time slot reserved just for me. I’d say you can go after me but look at that. It seems Misty is putting on a show so she wont have time to battle a worthless trainer like you today. You can come back tomorrow though but hey at least you can watch ME win! Smell you later!” Gary said, with a laugh as he walked into the gym.

Ashley fumed. “Who does he think he is and what is with this register crap he clearly just made up!” 

She was about ready to storm into the gym but Erika gently grabbed her shoulder.

“Actually some gyms do have a registration system in place, if they have other duties that require the gym leader's time. In this case Misty and her water ballets are a major part of Cerulean City’s economy. She only has so many hours a day she can perform gym battles. While I don't believe Misty is too busy most days, you do have to register in advance,” Erika explained.

“Oh…” Ashley slumped in disappointment. “Wait so do you and Brock have to do registrations too? I mean Brock's gym was kinda small so I'm guessing he dont need them but what about you?”

“I don’t require them. Yes, I do host classes in my gym about perfume and caring for Pokemon but those rarely get in the way of accepting challenges.” Erika went on to explain. “You’d be correct though in saying Brock's gym is just a gym. As far as I know, at least now that Flint’s back, he doesn’t have any further responsibilities.”

Ashley sulked. “Can't believe I have to wait another day before I can get my 2nd badge. It’s not fair, doesn't Misty know the world's greatest pokemon trainer is here? Surely that's more important than a loser like Gary wasting her time after she already beat him?”

Cue Ashley being smacked with Erika’s deadly fan of doom.

“Really now Ashley this arrogance of yours is really getting out of hand” Erika admonished her newly appointed little sister. 

Ashley rubbed her head and muttered “Yeah yeah…” as she walked off.

“Ashley, even if he was incredibly rude about it, Gary does have a point. Maybe you should take up his offer and watch his match. It’d let you see what Misty’s capable of and what strategies she uses."

“Nah I’m good, nothing I need to learn. Hope will cream her.”

“Pika-pi!” Hope said, her cheeks sparking in excitement.

“...besides, it’s not just arrogance. It’s not just me wanting to win,” Ashley admits. “It’s not just that… This, well mom got robbed of her dream. She should have defeated Lance, she… I want her to see a Ketchum on the champion’s throne. This isn’t just my dream, it’s hers too.”

Erika nodded. “I understand. All the same… are you doing this for your sake, or just for hers?”

—---

Ashley was on Cloud Nine, having picked up her first prescription of D-cells. She felt like nothing could stop her today.

“Hope, see that?” Ashley said, pointing to the sky. “Our lucky star is shining today!”

“Pika-pi?” Hope blinked, straining her eyes to try and see it under the hot Cerulean sun.

“What star? Do you mean the sun?” Brock asked. “Doesn’t it shine on everyone?”

“Agh, I didn’t mean it’s actually shining!” Ashley facefaulted. “It’s just a figure of speech! But are you ready to win today, little buddy?”

“Pika!” Hope said, looking as confident as her trainer.

She burst into the gym, throwing open the front doors. The receptionist, named Suzie according to her name tag, looked up from her phone, rather annoyed.

“Can I help you, little girl?” the receptionist, lowering her glasses to look down at her.

“I'm the world's greatest Pokemon trainer and I’m here to beat Misty into the ground,” Ashley loudly declared.

“PIKA PI PI!” Hope chanted.

Erika gritted her teeth in annoyance at her companion while Brock shook his head.

“Very well, I’ll inform Misty she has a challenger,” Suzie said, in the fakest sweet tone ever said while thinking: “...Misty’s going to eat that little brat alive, and send her home crying.”

—--

Ashley, entering the gym, saw it was a collection of swimming pools. Sitting atop a lifeguard’s tower was Misty with a white jacket over her swimsuit. She smiled at the young trainer and Ashley blushed at how pretty she was. She had a nice smile, it felt very warm and caring.

“Shame I’m going to have to wipe that smile off her face when I win…” Ashley said to herself.

“Well, you must be my challenger. You're definitely a new face! Trainers who want to turn pro have to have a policy about Pokémon! What is your approach when you catch Pokémon? My policy is an all-out offensive with Water-type Pokémon!”

“Quality over quantity!” Ashley answered.

“A good answer, I heard you already beat Brock,” Misty said, before waving at her fellow gym leader. “So I’d be correct in assuming you have one badge and one badge only?”

“I have 1 badge and I've only been on my journey for about a week and a half. I know, I know that's impressive. Sorry if I have to ruin your reputation but I’m taking that Cascade Badge!”

“Well, aren’t you confident? But you'd better not take me too lightly. My water-type Pokémon are tough!" Misty said, as she stretched and Ashley tried not to stare at the older girl’s muscles for too long.

A woman with short green hair walked up to Misty holding a large tray of pokeballs, saying: “Uh m-m-ma'am here is your selection of pokemon.”

Misty smiled sadly at Ashley, and then turned to the green haired woman. “Thank you Jessica, I know exactly which pokemon to use for this battle. Now Ashley, this will be a three on three battle. No time limit. Be warned though, I won’t be as easy to defeat as Brock. Misty, the world-famous beauty, is your host! My sweet Pokémon are ready! Are you?"

Ashley cracked her knuckles. “I was born ready!”

“As the gym leader I’m required to send my pokemon out first, so go Elisa!”

A spinning purple star flew out of the Dive Ball, and landed on the opposing platforms. The ruby gemstone in the star Pokemon’s center sparkled and shined in the sunlight, the pokemon reflected in the crystal clear blue waters.

Brock's eyes widened. “...That Starmie, isn’t it…?”

Erika nodded. “...Yeah, Misty’s signature. Her starter, actually. I can’t watch… This is going to be over quickly. As much as Ashley needs to be humbled, I really hate watching any Pokemon be completely overpowered.”

Ashley smirked. “All right then GO Clint! I choose you!”

She tossed the pokeball and out pops her Spearow. He tipped his hat at Misty before gesturing at Starmie with his wing pointed like a finger. He let out a caw, glaring at the sea star with his one good eye.

Jessica had taken a spot to the side to act as referee.

“B-b-begin!” she stuttered out.

“CLINT GO IN FAST WITH A WING ATTACK!” Ashley shouted, and Clint flew up high and darted downwards with his wings glowing.

Misty didn’t look worried at all.

“Dodge it and hit him with a Water Gun,'' Elise quickly darted to the side evading the Spearow’s attack. She blasted the bird hard with a water gun. Clint was thrown back, hitting one of the platforms and letting out a caw of pain.

Ashley winced seeing her second ever Pokemon hit the ground like that.

“Clint, get up! Now use Fury Attack!”

Clint’s claws sharpened, and he flew towards the water type with his talons poised to strike at the Pokemon’s gem.

“Quick Elise, now use Harden!” Misty commanded, and her Pokemon flashed with Starmie’s body hardening like solid rock.

“Clint, now use Double Team we won't let them catch you again!” Ashley said, and Clint flew faster, leaving after images of himself behind.

Misty nodded, before smirking as she said: “Good strategy, but there’s always a way around it. Elise, use Swift!”

Elise turned on their back and spun like a cyclone firing golden stars everywhere. Each of the clones were taken down one by one, and Clint was sent flying.

“Now follow it up, with a Rapid Spin straight into the water!” Misty said, and her starter spun around even faster before rocketing upwards towards Clint like a meteor.

“CLINT!” Ashley shouted in a panic as the Starmie burst out of the water. Clint fell to the ground, unconscious.

“C-Clint is unable to battle, and the winner is Elise!”

“Clint, return…” Ashley said, a red beam shooting from her pokeball returning Clint to his ball.

Hope glared, eager to get in there and shouting: “PIKA PI PI!”

“Not yet buddy once you go out there it's an easy win for us. We need to let someone else get a chance. Let’s go Mustard!” Ashley said, tossing her next Pokeball.

“BZZ BZZ!” the Beedrill said, thrusting his stingers a few times like a professional boxer.

“Oh boy…” Misty said, sweating slightly at the angry-looking oversized bee. “...why did it have to be a Beedrill?”

“Round 2, start!” Jessica declared, as a bell rang.

Mustard, go in for a Fury Attack!” Ashley said, and the Beedrill rushed forwards with his twin stingers glowing.

“Elise, Harden again! You can take a-a-a b-bug!” Misty said, her voice wavering a little at the sight of the giant bee.

Ashley grinned. “Just what I was hoping you would do. Now combine your Poison Sting with your Fury Attack!” 

Mustard’s stingers dripped purple poison as he stabbed at the Starmie over and over.

Misty nodded. “I’ll give you credit for that one, combo moves aren’t something most trainers as green as you think up this early on. But the battle, it’s far from over. Elise, Confuse Ray!”

Elise’s gem flashed and Mustard buzzed around in a daze, even as his opponent shuddered from the delivered poison.

“Mustard, just power through. I know you can do it and go for a Bug Bite!” 

Mustard floated there, tilting his head and not really sure what to do.

“Elise, now! Hyper Beam!” 

Ashley’s jaw dropped, seeing the starfish charge up a glowing golden beam. Letting the beam fly, it slammed hard into Mustard, making him go flying.

Mustard floated up from the bottom of the pool, completely knocked out. “Mustard is unable to battle, the winner is Elise! Trainer, please send out your last Pokemon!”

Ashley tried not to think about how much she was sweating. “We got this… right little buddy? Hope, wipe that smile off her face!”

“This isn’t looking good for Ashley, is it? I’ll give her credit,” Brock mused aloud. “She refuses to back down even when she’s lost.”

“That’s the pride of a trainer,” Erika said, her tone one of respect. “If she turned away now, she’d never be able to live with herself. Pokemon trainers are always pushing themselves, learning and growing.”

“Though I think the lesson here is never get too cocky,” Brock said. “As arrogant as Gary is, he’s got a gift for training his Pokemon, even if his attitude needs a bit of work. Now let’s hope Ashley will take the lesson Misty’s teaching her to heart.”

Hope eagerly hops out onto the platform, cheeks sparking. “PIKA PIKA PI!”

“Round three, begin!” and Jessica rung the bell.

“Hope, Thunder Shock!” Ashley said, and Hope let the bolt of lightning fly.

“Light Screen!” Misty said, and a screen of pure light sprung up between Hope and Elise. The screen took the lightning bolt even as Elise once more shuddered from the poison. “Now follow up with your Psybeam!”

“Hope quick, leap up into the air and straight at Elise and then go for Quick Attack and combine it with your Iron Tail!”

Hope rushed at Elise before bringing her silvery tail down on top of the starfish. Elise slammed into the platform, her gem slightly cracked and still flinching from the poison.

“Another good move, but still it won't be enough. Elise, Recover!”

Elise glowed, her injuries healing and looking as fresh as when the battle started.

Ashley let out a groan and growled. “Oh come on… Seriously? Come on Hope, we can still win this!”

“Pika!” Hope said, pumping her fist and crackling with electricity.

“Wait… What's that move?” Ashley said, before she took out her pokedex and read the entry. “Spark, huh? A pokemon covers itself with electricity allowing it to do physical damage with said electricity.”

Ashley smirked.

“Alright, perfect time too! Hope, combine your new Spark with your Quick Attack! Grab onto them!”

Hope burst forward like a rocket slamming into Elise, before latching onto them.

“Now, Thunder Shock!”

Hope unleashed a jolt of electricity, even as Elise let out a groan of pain from the earlier poison.

“Keep at it, you’ve almost got this. Knock that rat off with your Rapid Spin!”

“Hold on tight! Don’t let go!” Ashley said, and to Hope’s credit she did manage to hang on a little even as Elise spun like a top. Eventually though, she was flung off, with the Pikachu staggering about in a daze.

“Recover, again!”

“Oh no you don’t not this time. Hope, interrupt it with another Thunder Shock!”

Hope, managing to regain her bearings fired off another golden zap of electricity.

“Dodge it!” Misty said, Elise leaping to the side. “Now, Double Team!”

Suddenly, the gym was filled with Starmies.

Ashley quickly analyzed the situation. “Which one is the real one? No way she would hide under the water, not with Hope’s electric type attacks so it must be one in the air… Wait, I know! She’s going to use this as a chance to do another Recover. I’ll wait to see which one glows, and then go for a full assault before Elise even has a chance to strike!”

“Now Elise, Recover!”

Ashley felt time begin to slow down, but she shook her head. “No, I can’t rely on Aura for every battle. I have to do this… with my own strength!”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a glow in the water.

“Now, come out with a Rapid Spin!” Misty said, even as her Pokemon flew out of the pool slamming into Hope.

Ashley grit her teeth. “Hope, just hang in there. We can still win this!”

But Misty wasn’t going to let Ashley get in any openings. “Elise, Water Gun!”

Hope let out a cry of pain as she was knocked backwards into the pool, and that’s when Ashley saw the look on Misty’s face. One of pity, and sympathy.

“Time to finish this up, and I know just how to do it,” Misty said. “Now show the little mouse a real electric attack. ELISE USE THUNDER BOLT!”

Elise glowed yellow even as clouds gathered in the sky above them. A golden bolt of electricity ripped through the skylight, and raced through the water.

“PIIIIIIKAAA PI!” Hope let out a pained scream, and floated towards Ashley, completely unconscious.

“I… I lost…” Ashley said, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. Gary was right, she couldn't have possibly won.

“Hope is unable to battle, and the winner is the gym leader Misty in a clean sweep!” Jessica declared, waving a flag.

Ashley leapt into the water, and held her Pikachu close, saying: “I’m sorry I failed you Hope, you deserve better. I’m not a great trainer, I’m not even a good one. I should have seen this coming, instead I was arrogant and I got cocky a-a-and…”

“Everyone’s like this at first,” Misty said, kindly putting a hand on her shoulder. “And you did put up a good fight, even when you were outmatched. You just need to train a bit more, that’s all. Now get your Pokemon to Joy, and when you’re ready for real, come back and challenge me again. I’ll be waiting.”

Ashley felt numb to everything, barely able to nod back even as she felt Erika bring her into a hug. And she let the tears fall.

Chapter Text

Samantha was thumbing through a fashion magazine, the title reading off: “20 hot tips for getting your guy gal or non binary pal huh? Uh huh, sure… Tell me more.”

Suddenly almost as if on cue, Ashley burst in. One look at her and Samantha knew she’d been crying. Barely looking up from her magazine, the Joy said in perfect deadpan, barely raising an eyebrow: “So are you back to bask in your glorious victory, Worlds Greatest Pokemon Trainer? Should I bow at your feet?” 

The Joy noticed Erika giving her a dirty look, then she saw the look on Ashley’s face. Samantha forced back a sigh, thinking: “...and I just hate to see little girls cry, it always manages to tug at my heartstrings. Sometimes I wonder why I became a doctor if I didn’t want to have to see that?”

“Please Ms. Joy, this is no time for… I admit it, I’m not the world’s greatest trainer. I’m barely even a passable one. Hope, she got hurt real bad in the bat...” Ashley’s lip quivered, and she looked like she was about to start crying again. The moment Samantha heard that a Pokemon had been seriously hurt, she shot up and tossed her magazine aside.

“CINDI, GET IN HERE NOW, it’s an emergency!” Joy shouted, and she quickly took Hope, swaddled tightly in Ashley’s arms along with Clint and Mustard’s pokeballs.

“Now, now it's ok little cutie you'll be fine,” Samantha said, surprising even herself with how gentle her tone was. Hope groaned in pain, even as Cindi wheeled in a gurney.

Ashley watched as Hope was wheeled away, and punched the wall in frustration.

“I’ll… I’ll be right back,” she said, choking back tears and walking off. “Just… I need some time to myself, to t-think, that’s all.”

Erika, for her part, fought against her better instincts to comfort the girl.

“That’s always the hardest part, isn’t it?” Brock said, solemnly. “Knowing when someone needs time to themselves, knowing when they need that time alone even when they’re hurting.”

“...Yeah,” Erika said with a sigh, wanting to comfort her little sister. “I hate it.”

—--

Ashley, sitting alone in her room, let out a deep sigh. She was in the dark, the drapes closed to block out the shining sun which felt almost mocking right now. 

“...World’s greatest Pokemon trainer huh? Look where all my bragging got me,” Ashley said, wiping away her tears as she clenched the sheets beneath her. Her body shook slightly, as she finally admitted just how badly she’d messed up. “It's not just the fact I lost, I can take a loss. No, I didn’t just lose. I was utterly destroyed, and the worst part is I can’t look Erika in the eye right now. She was right, she warned me about this and that I was letting my own pride get the better of me. I ignored her, and I got creamed.”

Grabbing at her head, she pulled some of her hair out in frustration.

“Ashley, what are you even doing? I… I was so happy this morning, I felt like I was on cloud nine! Now look at me, I’m pathetic. Gary, he’d probably love to see me sulking right about now. No, that’s the worst part. Gary… GARY was right!”

Looking at the pills, she threw a pillow against a wall and began punching it repeatedly. Letting out a yell, she groaned out: “Arceus, this sucks. Maybe Gary’s right, maybe I should just quit while I’m behind, go back home.”

She could see Gary laughing, and hear his voice in her head.

“So I was right, Ashley-girl! I knew you didn’t have what it takes. So who’s the world’s great Pokemon trainer? That’s right, it’s me! Smell ya later, Ketchum!”

That really stung, and she slapped both hands to her face. “NO! What are you saying to yourself, Ashley? What are you thinking? I can't do that! Mom… She was so proud of me, wanting to go on my own journey. I can’t disappoint her, not when I said I was going to be the world’s greatest Pokemon trainer! Cynthia… Diantha… They’re waiting on me, at the top! If I give up now, I’ll never be able to challenge them! Mom would forgive me but….. I want to fulfill her dream but more than that… This is MY dream as well. My goal!”

Her hands trembled, as she clenched them into fists.

“Like I said, Gary was right. It hurts to admit that, makes me a little bit sick but I guess I owe him an apology. The next time I see him… if I see him… NO! What are you talking about, Ashley! You’re going to see him again, and you’re going to beat him for the first time in your life! I refuse to let him show me up!”

She hugged her legs to her chest, tilting her hat over her head.

“...where did I even go wrong…? Oh, of course I know where I went wrong. I let my own stupid arrogant pride get the better of me, I refused to listen to anyone but myself. I ignored Erika, I ignored Brock… My strategies were good. It’s just Misty's were better. Is that it? Is she just better than me? Of course she is, she’s a gym leader! It’s her job to weed out the weak trainers! I won’t let my journey stop here! I will beat her!”

Thinking to herself, she replayed the battle in her head over and over until it finally hit her.

“Wait, I did catch her off guard several times…” Ashley mused. “Clint, Mustard… they did some damage and Misty’s terrified of bug-types. …I could use that, but, no, what kind of person would that make me? I’d be a real bitch if I did that…”

She shook her head, disregarding the notion entirely.

“No, I’m not doing that. Clint, Mustard, they did some damage but not enough and her Starmie… it’s super strong. Stronger than any of my Pokemon besides Hope and I…”

Ashley let out a scream as it hit her.

“Agh, that’s it, I’m a moron! I’ve just been coasting by with Hope, I’ve barely spared a thought to any of my other Pokemon. Some trainer I am!”

She snapped her fingers as she realized.

“My strategies were not bad, trouble is my Pokemon aren’t as strong as they should be. They can’t take full advantage of them. Plus… the water! I need to take advantage of it!”

She nodded, furrowing her brow in thought.

“Misty’s an expert of using her gym's terrain to her advantage, and she even used it to beat Hope with an electric type move!”

Ashley got up off the bed, pacing back and forth.

“Think girl, think… Hehe, girl that sounds right. I’m a girl now! I’m going to be an idol to both cis and trans girls, like Dianthia was for me… Anyways, the water, the gym’s environment… Can I turn that to my favor? Wait, no I'm looking at this wrong. If I try to turn the water to my advantage she would likely be prepared for that. I need to keep the battle away from the water, make her lose that advantage.”

She tapped her foot against the floor in thought.

“Though there is another thing to consider. Misty, she knows my pokemon now. She knows Clint and Mustard, so should I…” Ashley paused to shake her head. “No, I owe it to Clint and Mustard to try again, with them. I’d be insulting them if I suddenly switched out to Gale and Amethyst. If I don’t let them recover, if I switch out, I’d be failing them as their trainer. I have to make it up to them! Okay, sure, so she will have an advantage of knowing my pokemon's moves. I can work with that, I just need to get stronger, a lot stronger. Work with what I have.”

Ashley, throwing open the curtains to let the light in, felt the warm sunlight on her face. Maybe her lucky star really was shining today. With that thought, she began to act out scenarios in her head.

“Clint, use your Quick Attack!” she called out, and adjusted her hat with 1 finger like Clint would then rushed forward and channeling her Spearow let out a cry of: “Spear, Spear!”

She grinned, and laughed. Yeah, she knew what she had to do now.

—--

Ashley, fully re-invigorated, stepped out of the room and smiled looking towards the Cerulean Gym.

“You’re mine,” Ashley said, thinking of the Cascade Badge. “You will be mine, you hear me MISTY? I’m taking your gym! And I will have your badge!”

She heard a chuckle from behind her, and saw Brock.

“It seems you’re back in high spirits,” he said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d want more than just Misty’s badge.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!”

“A declaration of war like that…” Brock said. “A passionate one, it only comes from the heart and y’know, there’s nothing wrong with being interested in another woman. It’s perfectly natural.”

“Yuck! Gross! I just want a great Pokemon battle!” Ashley said, not sure why her heart was skipping a beat at the thought of Misty congratulating her.

She wasn’t sure why at all, even as a crimson dust covered her face. Just what was with her!?!

—--

Meanwhile Erika was flipping through the pages of a romance novel, giggling at the idiot commoner romancing the equally moronic blonde she was interested in. Giggling some more, she tried to suppress a squee as the blonde declared the commoner ‘hers’. Calling the commoner one of her things, possessively, passionately.

“Oooh this is starting to get a bit steamy,” Erika said to herself standing up and stretching. “I can’t read something like this out here, and Ashley’s still in her room so I guess I’ll take a…” 

Then she was hit with a Tackle by Ashley, with her romance novel flying through the air and landing inside Ashley’s backpack.

“Gyaaaaaaah!” Erika said, wondering if she should start getting used to this.

Ashley was hugging her tightly, saying frantic apologies. “I’m so sorry you kept warning me over and over and I failed to listen and I just brushed you off and I’ll listen to you more often from now on! I-I-I gotta go check on Hope and the others! Bye!”

Erika smiled softly, her sister was an idiot but she loved her.

—--

Ashley, as she entered the waiting room, was greeted by Samantha who said: “Oh, there you are. You’ll be happy to know all of your Pokemon are just fine.”

Cindi was wheeling in the three on a gurney, all three Pokemon nomming on Pokebeans of various colors. Hope let out a happy ‘Cha!’ in delight, hugging a bottle of ketchup to her chest.

Hope, seeing her idiot trainer, excitedly hopped off the gurney and leapt into Ashley’s arms. Her idiot trainer, who was crying, holding her tight before scooping the other two into her arms as well. Her idiot trainer, who was frantically apologizing: “I’m so so sorry, I’ve failed you as your trainer. I have failed you and I swear, no I promise you I’m going to make it up to you. We’ll all get stronger together, that’s a promise. So will you take me back? Will you forgive me?”

“Pika, Pikapi!” Hope said, which Ashley knew meant: “Of course, you idiot human!”

“Bee!” Mustard buzzed while Clint tipped his hat politely.

Ashley sobbed happily.

Samantha then walked off with a dismissive wave going back to her magazine. “Go cry  elsewhere, I don’t want to have to mop up the floor. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve a magazine to get back to. Huh… pink highlights are in this year… Cindi, what do you think? What about makeup? You think that’d work for you?”

“Champ?” Cindi tilted her head and Hope and Ashley shared a look wondering if they should feel very sorry for the shiny Machamp.

“Bee…” Mustard said to Ashley, which was probably a: “If you do that to me, you’re getting stung with my twin stingers.”

“Heheh, noted!” 

—----

“I’ll be back later! I just need to get serious about my training, and I need to do this alone, that’s all,” Ashley said.

“You sure you don’t need our help?” Erika asked, concerned. Brock laid a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

“The little flower needs to blossom on her own, you can’t steal her sunlight if you know what I mean.”

“That’s… oddly poetic, coming from you but yeah,” Erika smiled proudly. “Yeah I do.”

Ashley found a tennis court in a park, stepping inside the fenced-in field and pulled out her Pokeballs. She smiled, adjusting her hat to block some of the sun and enlarged two of her Pokeballs.

“Alright then,” Ashley said, throwing off her hat. “It’s time to get serious! Amethyst, Gale! Come on out! I need your assistance!”

“PIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiddddddgggggggee!” Gale cried as she flew up, and out of the ball, perching herself on the fence. She tilted her head, quizzically, her talons grasping at her perch. “Pidge?”

“Okay, I need your help training Clint and Mustard. I’ve… not been the best trainer to any of you and I apologize for that.”

Gale chirped happily and nuzzled her face against Ashley’s own, rubbing her feathers against her skin. Another sense of almost eerie familiarity, Ashley noted. Like she’d seen her Pidgeotto before.

Something felt different though, and for a brief moment she wondered why she saw a much larger Pidgeot instead. In the back of her mind, it felt like she was forgetting something only she didn’t know what.

Amethyst gently fluttered about over her head, letting out a soft chirp of her own in acknowledgement 

“Ok first up, Gale you’re gonna have a match with Clint. We need to improve his speed, and the accuracy of his attacks. Now I want you to come at him with everything you've got!”

“GEETTO!” Gale crowed out in reply.

“Clint, you ready?” Ashley asked, and the tiny bird glared at his larger counterpart with his one good eye.

“ALRIGHT CLINT GO IN WITH A QUICK ATTACK!” Clint flew upwards Gale, who bolted out of the way. “Now, follow up with Fury Attack!”

Gale flew up and out of the way of Clint’s talons and began to chirp rapidly.

“Goeottogetoogetoto!” the first-stage evolution continued squawking, pretty much laughing down at Clint. The Spearow glared daggers at his opponent, and if looks could kill, Gale would be six feet under.

“Clint stay calm buddy the point of this training is to help you get faster so just keep focused on that, okay bud?” Clint turned back to his trainer and nodded. And so it continued, with Ashley directing Clint to keep slowly increasing his speed and attacking Gale until finally the tiny bird got a good hit in. Gale let out a cry of pain, some feathers falling to the ground.

“Now, Fury Attack!” Ashley cried, with Clint not giving Gale a chance to get her bearings He slammed into her with a fury attack knocking her down and Ashley called out: “now before she hits the ground finish it with a wing attack”

Clint let out a war cry, and burst forward with wings glowing but he’s still a little too slow. He only just nicked Gale before he was forced to pull up to avoid slamming into the ground. Gale however, didn’t get the chance and smashed into the dirt, causing a small dust cloud to fly up.

Landing in front of Gale, he did a mocking little bow as the Pidgeotto glared back at him.

“Gale, that’s a good girl. Now get some rest, okay?” Ashley said as she recalled the flying-type. “Remind me to give you both some extra Pokebeans, you both did great!”

She turned to her two bug-types.

“Now Mustard for you, I need you to improve the strength of your strikes, how fast your poison works and Amethyst your gonna help with that. Don’t worry, it’ll be fun!”

Amethyst looked very concerned for a moment, fluttering nervously but her trainer continued “I’m also gonna help you get stronger at the same time, increasing your strength.”

Walking out of the tennis court, she had the two bug-types follow after her. She pointed at some rocks, with her two bugs following her gaze. “Now, here’s what you’re gonna be doing. Amethyst, you’re gonna be dropping those rocks so fly up high in the sky with one then release it but don't let us know when you do”

Amethyst let out a breath she had been holding and then fluttered over to a rock, grabbing onto it with her tiny hands. She started flapping, it was rather heavy but she eventually managed

“All right Mustard you're gonna have to strike fast and hard so keep your eyes focused and be rea… NOW USE POISON STING!”

Mustard saw the shadow of a falling rock, and lunged forwards with his stingers. His wings buzzed and he struck at the falling rock only landing a glancing blow which barely scratched the rock. It landed on the ground, and Amethyst picked it up again and floated back up into the air.

“Bzzy bzzt!” Mustard said, feeling rather frustrated and looking around awkwardly.

“It's ok Mustard that's why we are training. You have nothing to be frustrated by,” Ashley said, gently, encouragingly getting a nod from the wasp.

And then once more Ashley shouts: “POISON STING!”

Mustard turned his head quickly back and forth spotting the rock this time as it plummeted downward. He thrust his right stinger into it. The stinger pierced through and through, and yanked him into the ground.

“Looks like we need to improve that too…” Ashley mused, rubbing her chin and trying to ignore the growing stubble on it.

Mustard rubs the back of his head with his free stinger as he finally gets the other one out. The rock broke clean in two, and Amethyst flew off to grab another one.

This went on for a while, the cycle of ‘drop rock, strike and sting’ repeating when suddenly the normally purple glow of Poison Sting changed to a bright white just as Mustard stinger struck a rock. The rock shattered, sending rubble flying everywhere. Ashley jumped backwards in shock, letting out a shout of: “wait what happened, was that Rock Smash?”

“Bzz, bzz!” Mustard said, as he flexed his stingers, before looking confused and glancing at them in shock.

“I didn’t even know you could learn that move!” Ashley said with a laugh.

Mustard laughs along with his trainer even as Amethyst fluttered down to them looking exhausted. 

“Yeah, you did good, both of you,” Ashley said, rubbing their heads. “You deserve a nice long rest, return the both of you.”

Recalling the two to their balls, Ashley fell backwards into the grass and smiled. “...yeah, I think I did… No, I know I did good.”

Later that night, Ashley sat in her room with Hope, Clint and Mustard. She looked them dead in the eye, looking far more serious than any of the Pokemon had ever seen her.

“Ok listen up troops! Tomorrow we’ll be facing Misty again and this time I have no intent on losing. We’ve got to be ready, we’ve only seen one of her Pokemon and she’s seen us. She knows what to expect from us and she will be using all three of her pokemon and I suspect I know what the other two are. Don’t worry though, I have a plan in mind, so listen closely because here’s what we’re going to do…”

—----

The next day, Ashley smiled at her opponent and curtsied at her, shocking both Misty and Erika. “Before we begin, I want to thank you for yesterday. I needed that wake-up call, to shock me out of my own stupidity. I’ve just been coasting by so far, neglecting the rest of my team in favor of my Pikachu. I guess on some level I was hoping I could just bulldoze through the gyms with just her. So… thanks. I needed that wake-up call, to realize my own weaknesses.”

Erika, from behind her fan, smiled with pride, thinking; “Good girl.”

Misty flashed Ashley an upturned little smile and Ashley didn’t know why but her heart skipped a beat. She tried to force the rapidly rising red from her face as Misty said: “Huh, so maybe you can learn after all. I’m impressed, I thought you’d run home crying. Lemme guess, you’ve got all of those hopes and dreams about being the next Cynthia or Dianthia right?”

“Yeah, they’re my idols!”

“I was worried I’d actually crushed those dreams of yours, frankly I like seeing fellow trainers learn and grow. Now, you came here for a battle against the beautiful battling mermaid of Cerulean City, right?”

“Yeah!”

“Be warned, you’re about to enter some troubled waters. There’s some stormy weather ahead, so be careful not to get swept away, by me, Misty Waterflower! The star of the show, and Cerulean City’s pride and joy! This will be a three on three battle, same rules as the last time!”

“Just the way I like it,” Ashley grinned. “This time, you’ll lose!”

“Oh, cocky!” Misty said, giving another one of those little upturned smiles she liked. The ones that made Ashley’s heart race, and not from the thrill of a challenging battle. “I like that about you, you just don’t stay down for long! You’re like Ho-Oh, rising from the ashes!”

“Remember our strategy guys,” Ashley said, as she pulled out her first pokeball.

“Hopefully you just didn’t plan on a new way to lose!”

Jessica once again, acted as the referee shouting out: “Both combatants are ready! As before, only the challenger can substitute pokemon and this will be a 3 on 3!”

Misty enlarged and tossed her first pokeball, crying out: “GO HOWARD!”

Ashley smirked, seeing the Psyduck on the opposing platform. “I knew it, go for it Clint!”

The Spearow let out a cry, flying upwards with a caw. He adjusted his hat with his wing, Leering at the doofy derpy duck with his good eye.

Jessica looked back and forth between the two, stuttering out: “B-Begin!”

“Clint, use your Quick Attack!” Ashley said, as her Spearow flew off at high speed, rocketing towards Howard the Psyduck.

“Howard, use your Water Pulse!” Misty cried out, as Howard spat a blast of water from his bill.

“Quickly, evade to the right side then go in for a Fury Attack!” Ashley said, with her Pokemon darting to the side and leaping forwards with sharpened talons.

“I see Clint has gotten faster, much faster. You’re right, you’re actually starting to take your training seriously. It’s still a long way to the top though!” Misty said, as a warning. “And is your Spearow fast enough?”

“PSYPSYPSY!” Howard cried in a panic, his face covered in scratch marks and he was flailing his arms around wildly. 

“I’m not sure who’s going to have more of a headache with him carrying on… him or me…” Misty muttered. “Shake him off, Howard!”

Ashley didn’t give the duck a chance.

“Now, swoop in low for a Wing Attack!” 

Clint let out a caw, as he flew up and looped back down towards his opponent. His wings glowed and he flew past Howard, sending the bouncing across the water. Howard’s head constantly smacked into the water, the duck crying in pain. 

“Now, go in for a Quick Attack! Ring him out!” Ashley said, even as she thought back to last night…

“Ok Clint, she is definitely using her Psyduck first. If that thing gets a serious headache we’re in deep trouble. You’ll need to ring it out of the arena, before he has any chance to use his psychic powers.”

Clint had nodded, giving a salute with his wing and then tipping his hat. Back in the present, he was flying at top speed, right towards Howard aiming to knock him out of the ring. Suddenly, Misty shouted: “Use Water Gun… NOW!” ” 

Howard, still bouncing, aimed at the pool and fired off a shot of water from his beak. Shooting himself into the air, the Psyduck quickly and surprisingly nimbly landed on the platform, his eyes glowing. The water-type was clutching his head with his wings, moaning in pain and Ashley felt a sick feeling in her stomach.

“...crap,” she said to herself, realizing how her plan had backfired.

“Disable!” Misty shouted, with Clint feeling a strange tingle in his body. He didn’t know how, but he couldn’t make himself use Quick Attack anymore. It was like the ability was completely foreign to him now.

“I know, it’s going to hurt,” Misty said, sympathetically to her duck. “But you know what to do, okay?”

“Psy…” Howard said, having landed on the platform head-first and moaning in pain.

“Nice try on the ring out, I have to admit. Good plan, but it wasn’t good enough! It will take more than that to beat me, sorry!” Misty said, looking towards her duck who looked to be in complete agony. She grinned. “And it looks like Howard’s headache is in full force so you know what that means right?”

Ashley’s eyes widened, knowing what was coming. She thought fast, quickly shouting out an attack.

“Quick fly at him with a Wing Attack, and finish him off before he can attack with his powers!”

Clint nodded, and flew as fast as he could though without his Quick Attack his top speed wasn’t as high as it could have been. Which Ashley knew would probably cost them, and it did as she heard Misty’s next command.

“Too late, and too slow!” Misty wagged her finger at Ashley, her Pokemon mimicking the motion. Her voice turned softer, more sympathetic as she, soothingly, said: “Howard, it’s okay, it’s almost over and your headache will go back to normal just as soon as you use your Psybeam!”

Howard let out a ‘Psssssssssssy!’ as he fired a strange sort of beam towards Clint.

Ashley felt oddly calm, despite the situation. This was okay, she told herself. She could handle this, she’d expected there was a possibility she couldn’t ring out Howard. It was time for plan B, then. She allowed herself to smirk. “Now who’s the cocky one, huh, Misty? You’re so sure of yourself, you didn’t think I had a plan for this? Clint, Double Team!”

“I’ll still hit your Spearow, it shouldn’t take long to find the right one!” Misty said, as fiery as ever. 

“...wait, are they…?” Brock blinked, from his spot in the stands. “Is she having them…”

“I think she is,” Erika said, giggling a little. “So that’s her plan! Talk about unconventional! I suppose I should have expected nothing less!”

Clint’s doppelgangers were dancing, line-dancing like they were at a saloon listening to country music. Misty could only stare, trying to keep her face even. She was failing and looking like she was about to laugh. Her Psyduck however, was even worse.

Her Psyduck was flatout laughing, rolling around on the floor crying tears of joy.

Ashley was trying not to break down laughing at herself, thinking back.

“But I'm sure Misty won’t let us go for the ring out. I’m sure she’s expecting me to try that. Don’t worry Clint, I have a back up plan in the likely event that fails. Namely, using your Double Team but not for evasion or distraction. No, I want you to make her Psyduck laugh.”

Back in the present, Psyduck’s headache was completely forgotten. And Ashley grinned. “Now for real this time, Fury Attack!”

Clint flew in and slashed the water-type again and again, letting out a war cry. Finally, Psyduck fell backwards, completely unconscious.

“Howard is unable to battle, the winner is the challenger’s Spearow, Clint!” Jessica declared.

“Okay, I have to admit,” Misty said, still laughing. As she tried to regain control over herself, she admitted through giggles: “I wasn’t expecting that! Unconventional, but effective!”

Ashley loved hearing Misty’s laugh, a part of her wanted to hear it more often. She slapped herself in the face, reminding herself to focus instead of drooling at Misty. …wait, she wasn’t drooling. She was just admiring her!

That’s all she was doing! It was simple admiration!

Pulling out a dive ball, Misty enlarged it and tossed it into the pool. A very familiar serpentine figure rose up out of the waters, infamous to every sailor in Kanto. Ashley had seen one before, though this one was definitely not her friend unlike King Triton.

She swallowed, she knew it was coming but all the same… “Clint, return! Mustard, swap in!”

“Hmmm interesting I figured she would want Hope for this one,” Brock mused. “Is she challenging herself, no… she’s got a plan here.”

“If Ashley has proved anything it's that she doesn’t rely on the expected,” Erica agreed.

Brock snapped his fingers. “Ah-ha, I think I know what she’s doing now… Clever girl.”

“B-Begin…” Jessica stammered out, the shadow of the Gyarados looming over her.

“S-Start off with a-a-a W-Water Pulse, confuse that nasty b-bug before he has a chance to strike!” Misty said, somewhat fearfully seeing the giant wasp hovering in place.

Ashley winced, wondering if using a Pokemon that Misty was clearly terrified of was really the best option. It just didn’t feel that fair.

But, a badge was a badge she supposed.

“Dodge it, quick!” she said, thinking back.

“Ok Mustard, you’re gonna have the hardest job but also the most straightforward. You’re going to be facing Misty’s prized Gyarados.”

Mustard slowly nodded his head, uncertainty. He wasn’t looking forward at all to facing the infamous Kanto sea serpent.

“So the first step, is to keep away from its jaws and behind its head, don’t let up and don’t give it a chance to strike…”

“Now go in for a Fury Attack, don’t give Misty any time to react!” Ashley said, and her Beedrill flew in, hammering away with his stingers.

“Use Flail, and knock it away quickly! ” Misty shouted, still eying Mustard with fear in her eyes. Mustard, using the air currents, easily dodged the massive swing of Ariel’s tail swipe.

“Now, string shot and slow that tail down!” Ashley commanded, and Mustard spat out some sticky string, wrapping the tail up in it. “Now fly in and bite her left whisker with your Bug Bite!”

Mustard flew in, biting down hard even as the Gyarados roared in pain. Windows shattered just from how loudly the sea serpent roared and Ashley swore her ears were bleeding. As the ringing subsided, she quickly regained her bearings.

“Now, jab at her jaw with another Fury Attack!” Ashley said, and Mustard flew in low with his stingers shining.

“Quick, into the water! Don’t let that creepy wasp get you!” Misty said, biting her nails. Again, Ashley felt a little guilty, seeing how obviously afraid Misty was of her bug-type.

As Ariel dived into the water, a massive wave nearly swept Ashley off her feet.

“Okay, now stay focused, Mustard. Don’t give her any breathing room. When she comes out again, strike with your stingers! Poison her!”

“A-As c-creepy as your B-B-Beedrill is, using t-that thing to chip away at Ariel is a good strategy. But it won’t work, I’ve trained my Gyarados for years, and your puny bug won’t hold out forever! Now, Ice Fang!” 

Ariel let out another roar as she rose up out of the pool, her fangs glistening with frost.

Misty, too late, noticed the smirk on Ashley’s face.

“Just what we’ve been waiting for…” Ashley said. “Mustard, charge right at her!”

“HUH?” Brock asked.

“What’s she doing?” Erika said, dropping her fan in shock.

Ashley thought back…

“Now, I know this sounds scary, but I want you to let her eat you. She can’t hit you, if you’re inside her. That’s her weak spot! Misty won’t expect this! She won’t be able to defend against it!”

Mustard began to panic, letting out cries of “BZZT BZZT!“ as he waved his stingers in terror.

“Don't worry if things go bad I’ll save you but I’ll need you to trust me okay?” Ashley said, laying a hand on Mustard’s shoulders. The Beedrill, after a moment, nodded. “Okay, good. Ok after you’re swallowed unleash a Poison Sting powered Fury Attack!”

Mustard nodded, starting to get the picture. Though, his trainer owed him lots of sweet Combee honey after this!

Brock and Erika stared dumb-founded, Erika finally managing to speak up: “...so was this what you were expecting?”

“Not at all actually…” Brock said. “I thought her plan was to outlast Ariel and chip away at her with Poison Stings, not this!”

Ariel howls in pain at the onslaught going on in her gut feeling the poison inside her. She thrashed about, roaring in pain and Ashley saw the tears in Misty’s eyes. Ashley felt sick, wondering if she’d gone too far.

Misty clenches her fist not able to see her prized Pokemon in such pain. She pulled out Ariel’s ball, recalling the serpent and said: “I can't watch this, I… I hereby withdraw Ariel from this match.”  

Mustard just hovered in the air still thrusting his stingers now at empty air. Finally, he noticed the battle was over and rubbed the back of his head. If Beedrills could blush, he would have been.

“MISTY HAS FORFEITED THE ROUND, THE WINNER IS MUSTARD!” Jessica declared, waving a flag towards Ashley.

Ashley stared, before shouting: “HEY, WHAT'S THE DEAL ARE YOU TRYING TO IMPLY I CAN'T WIN THIS!”

Misty shook her head, and said: “Not at all you had clearly defeated Ariel but it's more than that. Ariel…”

Ashley noticed Misty was crying, and felt terrible and didn’t feel like a winner at all at the moment.

“She used severe trust issues and lashed out at everyone and everything. It’s just… Well, seeing her in such pain thrashing about it reminded me of those days. To me, it felt like I would be betraying her and leaving her in that state… It brought back bad memories, it was triggering for the both of us. I used to be terrified of Gyarados, I still am actually… Ariel’s the exception.”

Ashley swallowed. “...I… I can’t accept the badge, what I did… it was dirty, I sent your Ariel into a rampage. I…”

“No,” Misty smiled, wiping her eyes. “You didn’t know, and what you did… it was a legitimate tactic if not a conventional one. You didn’t know about my history with Gyarados. Not many people do, they think I’m perfectly fine with them. They don’t know my history, or Ariel’s. What you were doing, it wasn’t dirty. It was a strategy, and a good one.”

“All the same…”

“Please, don’t try and argue,” Misty said. “You beat Ariel, please don’t argue with me about this."

“Still, you’re terrified of Mustard and… I won’t use him again,” Ashley said. “Feels wrong.”

Misty nodded gratefully and Ashley wondered why she liked seeing Misty so happy. Erika, in the stands, smiled pridefully. Her little sister was growing up.

Misty nodded and then threw a Pokeball. “That just leaves me with Elise and you know how powerful she is.”

The fearsome Starmie took the field once more, gem glowing in the setting sun.

“...No,” Misty said. “You’re my challenger, and bug or not, he’s your Pokemon. What kind of gym leader would I be if I let my own fear get the better of me?”

“Okay, if you say so…” Ashley said, with Mustard rejoining the battle.

“A-And begin!” Jessica shouted.

“Quick rush in with a Fury Attack,” Ashley said, even as Mustard rushed forward his stingers glowing.

“Harden!” Misty said, commandingly and thought to herself “so is Ashley going for the poison again… or does she have something else up her sleeve?”

Mustard’s strikes started hammering the now hardened Starmie.

“Now, combine it with your Rock Smash!” Ashley said and Misty's eyes went wide as Mustard’s stingers glowed even brighter.

—--

“The plan for that monster of a Starmie is just wear it down little by little. I need all three of you for this, even with Recover it still cant fully heal itself so over time that damage will add up!”

—---

“Psybeam, now! Misty shouted and Elise blasted Mustard point blank with a Psybeam. The Beedrill flew backwards, sliding back on the platform and used one of his stingers to slow himself, planting it in the ground.

“Recover, quickly!” Misty said, and Elise began to glow.

“Come on, get up you can keep going…” Ashley said, worriedly. Mustard with his stingers slowly pushed himself up trying to flap his wings, but was clearly struggling to get airborne. Ashley bit her thumb, saying to herself: “Think think… come on girl, you got this. You’ve gotten this far, she’s tough but she’s not unbeatable. Gary beat her, so can you! If Gary can beat her, this should be easy! Ah, I got it! Mustard, pull her in close with your String Shot!”

Mustard shot string from his mouth grabbing onto Elise, and yanked it back, pulling Elise towards him. “Now an old classic for you by now. Fury Attack combined with Poison Sting!”

Mustard put all he had left into this, crying out: “BZZT BZZT BZZT BZZT BZZT BZZT BZZT BZZZZZZZZT!” even as Elise was pummeled by his stingers. With one last hard strike he passes out, Elise poisoned. “Bzzz….t…”

“Mus-Mustard is unable to battle, the winner is Elise!” Jessica stammered out.

Ashley called Mustard back and kissed his Pokeball. “you did amazing, now take a well earned rest. I promise you’ll get plenty of honey later. Now… Clint, get in there, Mustard softened her up for you!”

He panted, still tired from his previous battle but looking at him, Ashley knew he had plenty of fight left in him. She smiled, proudly.

“SPEAROW!” he crowed, mightily.

“Begin!” Jessica said.

“Don't give them any time to even react! Rush in with a Quick Attack!” Ashley ordered, and Clint burst forward. The time in the Pokeball had been enough for Howard’s Disable to wear off. “Combine it with a Wing Attack!”

His wings glowed white and he raced past Elise slicing into her and flew back around for another strike.

“Again!”

“Not so fast! That’s not going to work this time, I know what you’re after and I’m not going to let you have it! Elise, Rapid Spin!”

Like a massive purple shuriken, Elise spun towards Clint.

“Now, grab onto her with your claws and give her a Peck barrage!” 

Clint grabbed ahold of the spinning star, and like a drill pecked away at her.

“Harden, again!” Misty said, as her Pokemon’s body became like solid rock.

Clint’s Pecks were starting to clink off Elise, but he was slowly whittling away at her defenses.

“Hit him with your Water Pulse!” Misty shouted and Elise blasted Clint off herself. Clint almost landed in the water but he managed to use his wings to steer himself towards the platform. He smashed into it, the impact ironically likely why he avoided Confusion. Leering at Elise, he barely hears his trainer shout for a Quick Attack/Wing Attack combo. Seeing the Starmie starting to glow from a Recover he shot off with all his remaining strength like a bullet from a gun and slammed into Elise.

He hadn’t gone fast enough to prevent the Recover, but even as he passed out he could see Elise flinch.

“Clint is unable to battle the winner is Elise,” Jessica said.

“Alright, Hope… it’s all up to you. My Hope… our hopes… rest on you now!”

“PIKA!” Hope cried, cheeks sparking as she leapt into battle.

“Now, let’s see if you can avoid being swept away!” Misty said. “Careful, dangerous waters ahead!”

Ashley nodded. “This has been an incredible battle. Win or lose, I've had a great time today.”

“LET THE FINAL MATCH BEGIN!” Jessica shouted, actually excited to see how this played out.

“Full speed ahead with Spark and Quick Attack” Ashley shouted as Hope was covered in electricity and darted towards Elise.

“Pika pika pika pika pika!” Hope said as she ran across the water covered in the beginnings of a golden glow.

“Evade it and go for a Psybeam!” Misty said, as Elise began to glow.

Suddenly Ashley shouted out, “Now hit it with a Thunder Shock!”

Hope blasted Elise with a golden bolt which stunned her just long enough for Hope to fall and avoid the Psybeam.

“NOW DOUBLE TEAM!” Ashley shouted as Hope now filled every inch of both platforms.

Misty said to herself, “She's up to something. She knows that I can counter Double Team. Well, there’s only one way to find out what she is planning and that’s to make her act on it.”

“Elise turn on your side and start spinning and use Swift!”

Elise spun like a miniature hurricane, dozens of stars shooting out resembling a miniature galaxy.

“Hope use Spark and jump up through the Swift using Iron Tail to destroy them!”

Hope leapt up into the air and spun into an Iron Tail through the stars. Even as she took damage, she barreled towards Elise. Hope came down, her heart-shaped tail glowing silver slamming Elise into the platform cracking it.

“Return the favor, Double Team!”

Mirroring Hope, Elise filled the arena with dozens of copies of herself.

“Pika!” Hope growled in frustration.

“Just fire off a Thunder Shock and hope we get lucky,” Ashley said, knowing exactly what was coming next.

Hope fired off a small storm of lightning bolts, as Ashley waited to see the tell-tale glow of the real Starmie’s Recover. Then, out of the corner of her eye…

Ashley shouted: “There, to your left! Spark, and Quick Attack into her now! Grab on, and don’t let go!”

“Dodge it!” Misty said, but Hope was too fast for her and latched on to Elise.

“NOW GO FOR A THUNDER SHOCK!” Ashley said, having a feeling what Misty would do next. “I know how you fight, I’m not being surprised this time!”

“You know what to do, Elise! Rapid Spin and get her off of you!” Misty said.

Hope held on for dear life, holding on tight but like before she was flung off. Then Ashley shouted out: “Spark and Iron Tail combo!”

Hope was covered with electricity, and then leaped upwards before slamming down back into Elise. The platform below them shattered, plunging Elise into the pool.

Misty's eyes widened, realizing what was about to happen. “GET OUT OF THERE QUICK!”

“NOW THIS IS OUR CHANCE THUNDER SHOCK INTO THE WATER!” Ashley shouted, her voice a bit hoarse by now.

“PIKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACHHHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUUU!” Hope cried out, letting off not a Thunder Shock but something far more powerful; a Thunderbolt.

Elise was shooting towards the surface, like a missile, fighting the poison all the while. But she wasn’t fast enough, the lightning racing through her body. Floating to the surface, her gem pulsed slightly but the starfish slipped into unconsciousness.

“...wow…” Misty said, staring in stunned shock.

“E-Elise is unable to battle! Misty has no Pokemon left so the challenger Ashley, from Pallet Town is the victor!” Jessica said, unable to believe it herself.

Hope panted, exhausted as she swam to shore and into Ashley’s arms. 

“Hope!” Ashley said, lifting her up and spinning her around, cuddling the electric mouse against her cheek. She got zapped for her troubles, but she didn’t mind.

Misty smiled as she recalled Elise and walked towards Ashley. “Congratulations, you earned this. It’s my honor to present to you the Cerulean City’s Cascade Badge.”

She pinned the badge to Ashley’s bag, and kissed her on the cheek.

Now Ashley was really seeing sparks, her whole face glowing red as she rebooted.

“ALRIGHT WE GOT A CASCADE BADGE!” Ashley shouted jumping in the air.

“By the way, I heard you talking about Gary. I’m guessing he’s your rival right?”

“Rival, ex-friend, absolute asshole, take your pick…” Ashley grumbled. Misty giggled, as Ashley said: “Probably all of the above.”

“Here is a bit of news for you. He didn’t face the team lineup you just did. You’re actually the first person to actually beat this lineup that I can actually remember. Take pride in that, just don't let it go to your head okay cutie?” Misty said, winking at Ashley as she walked off with a distinct graceful sway in her steps.

Before she had a chance to process any of that, Ashley was pulled into a hug by Erika. “YOU WON YOU WON I’M SO PROUD OF YOU LITTLE SIS!”

“...so what’s that about proper ladies and decorum then?” Brock teased.

“Kyyyaaaaa!” Ashley let out a very girlish scream as she was tackled thinking: “Huh… so that’s what that feels like…”

Jessica having been watching all this ran to catch up with Misty: “M-Misty before you take your pokemon to Doctor Joy, I’ve got something I’d like to talk to you about.”

“Yeah?” Misty turned back to look at her and to her shock Jessica threw off her disguise to reveal she was in fact another Joy.

“I'm not just a normal Pokemon League sanctioned referee, I have another far more important job. Which is scouting for potential members of the Elite 4. After today, I’m thinking you would be a perfect candidate. I've watched you closely and these past two days have cemented my decision to recommend you.”

A Latias appeared from out of one of Jessica’s Pokeballs, flying around and then nuzzling Misty letting out a coo.

Misty stepped back, stunned and stuttering: “M-M-Me a member of the Elite 4? Are you serious? You’re not just pulling my leg?”

“Very serious. Agatha is looking to retire actually,” Jessica Joy explained, even as she stroked her Latias’ head feathers. “Honestly, I’ve watched several trainers but you’re the most promising one I’ve seen.”

Ashley and Erika, while stunned, both agreed. “Go for it! You’ll be the last person people face before fucking Lance!”

Erika didn’t even bother to chide her for swearing, actually in agreement. “While I won’t put it as crassly, Ashley’s right. It’s not something that comes along every day, and it’s an honor to even be considered.”

Brock nods in agreement. “What they said.”

“Hey you sure helped me get stronger,” Ashley grinned. “So I say go for it! Maybe I’ll fight you again one day!”

Misty wiped away tears from her eyes. “Well fine sure, I'll take it and dont think I’m giving up on my Gym either. I’ve put too much work into this place to let it go back to my idiot older sisters!”

Jessica could only laugh. “Well that's not my position to discuss but I’ll put it in my report!”

Chapter Text

A howl cut through the darkened forests, and the Houndour whimpered hearing the sound right at his paws.

He let out a whimper and looked back towards the egg, in a stolen satchel. He whined, knowing his pursuers couldn’t be too far behind.

The moon rose high over a dead oak tree, illuminating the grovel and that’s when he heard the snarl. A Mightyena leaped out of the underbrush, fangs crackling with electricity. The Houndour leaped backwards, the doberman-like Pokemon spitting small flames at his attacker.

The wolfish Pokemon howled in pain, and the Houndour whimpered again, knowing the whole forest probably knew where he was. That man… his hounds would know exactly where he was and he knew they couldn’t be that far behind if this one had caught up to him.

He broke into a sprint, dashing through the undergrowth. The egg rattled and shook inside the satchel, and Houndour whimpered again. He couldn’t risk damaging the egg, but he had to keep running.

He just had to.

“By Arceus…” he prayed to himself. “Please… someone, anyone, I need help! That man… he’s going to… I have to find help somewhere, before it’s too late! Who… who steals that? I’ve got to…”

He tripped and the egg went flying, with the dark-type only barely managing to grab it in his jaws.

“Don’t break, don't break, don't break…” he pleaded to himself and he sighed in relief seeing the egg was just fine. Though for how much longer, he didn’t know.

Throwing the egg back into the satchel, Houndour ran.

He didn’t know where he was running, but the further away from that man the better. He heard another howl coming from somewhere close behind. 

“They’re catching up…” Houndour knew and he didn’t dare look behind him. He was terrified of what he’d see.

Running towards a nearby cave, he figured it’d be a good place to hide. And maybe it led somewhere, maybe it led nowhere. Anywhere was better than out here in the open.

“...unless, that’s what they’re doing, they’re herding me like Wooloo to this cave, boxing me in. Chasing me towards a dead end…” the dark-type realized, eyes widening. “...of course, I don’t have much choice to spring their trap, do I? I’m exposed, I’m out in the open, they could come at me from any side…”

He whimpered and let out a whine, he’d have to chance it. He had to get this egg to safety. There had to be a town somewhere nearby right? Someone, anyone who could help. There was that Jenny family, right? Those humans who all seemed to look alike? If he could just get them to understand…

He heard a Snarl from the nearby underbrush and he quivered in fear. The attack itself didn’t do much damage, but the growling and muttering certainly made his fur stand on end. Yellow eyes glared at him from the bushes and a Mightyena slowly strode out of the underbrush with fangs crackling with sparks.

Houndour whined, not him again! The Mightyena lunged towards him, fangs glowing golden with electricity. Houndour rolled to the left and let out another Ember with the Mightyena howling in pain, flames licking at his dark fur.

That’s when two more Mightyena walked out of the underbrush, both looking equally as vicious. Houndour whimpered and quickly started to run when he saw them charging up Hyper Beams.

“Just gotta dodge…” he thought to himself, knowing both attacks would leave both dark-types exhausted. He leaped behind a rock, letting the boulder take the full force of the golden beam. But the second attack sent him flying.

He howled in pain as he smashed into a tree, toppling it like a domino. He was breathing, panting hard even as the Mightyena regathered their strength. Seizing his chance, his heart pounding, and his paws beginning to ache, he just kept running.

“Kooooooooffffffffffing!” came a cry, the living ball of gas floating down in front of the dog and blocking his way into the cave. Another one of that man’s hunter Pokemon.

Another whine, the doberman Pokemon asking: “Why me?” as he looked to the sky.

Poison gas spewed from the Koffing, and Houndour looked to see the first Mightyena leaping towards him. His fangs crackled with another Thunder Fang and Houndour whined in fear, thinking to himself: “Just gotta… Just gotta dodge it!”

The spark, that single spark was all that was needed. Koffing’s smoke caught fire and Houndour leaped clear of the explosion and into the cave.

He tripped, and stumbled down a hill, rolling down it deeper into the cave and laid on the cavern floor all four legs splayed outwards. 

Barking came from behind him and he saw the three Mightyena growling and snapping at the air. 

“Don’t they ever give up? They’ve got to be just as exhausted as I am!”

He kept running, seeing a light up ahead and his eyes widened as he found himself on the edge of a cliff. Down below, nothing but the rushing, raging waters of a torrential river. 

“Nowhere to run… nowhere to hide…” one of them said. “Now just give up the egg, and this won’t hurt quite as much.”

“Where are you even going to go?” the female of the trio said, clearly the pack leader by her larger size. “Look at where you are, there’s nowhere to go but down!”

“You might say you’re all washed up!” the first said, with a laugh. The third and final member of the trio laughed as well, sounding utterly insane and gibbering incoherently.

The female bonked that one on the head with a paw, snapping: “Focus, wouldja?” as her fangs crackled with electricity. “Don’t make me use these on you!”

“Yeah, you’ll be shocked!” the male joked, while the third only laughed harder. Houndour backed up, hearing a rock fall down into the rivers below.

“So, what’s it gonna be? The painful way, or the really painful way?” the female asked, Leering at Houndour.

He whimpered, unconsciously letting loose with a Smog attack. He tried to run, but he was hacking and coughing from the smoke. He lost his balance and he realized only too late he was falling.

And the river rushed up to greet him.

He coughed and gasped for breath as he tried to grab a branch, or anything to pull himself out of the raging torrents. 

“The egg! Nononononono, come back!” Houndour said, seeing the egg float by him and his eyes widened in horror as he realized where he was going. Futility reaching to grab the egg, in an attempt to hold it tight, he whined in fear, thinking: “Oh no… A huge waterfall, sharp rocks at the bottom most likely… Whhhhhhhhhhhhy meeeeeeeeeeee?”

And he looked back to see a massive log rushing towards him, and then all went black…

—-

Daybreak came, a scorching Sunday afternoon as our heroes headed towards their next gym badge.

“I think we should take a break right here,” Brock said, his shirt tied around his waist as the trio sweated in the afternoon sun. “We’re still a bit aways from the next town, and checking my map, it says we’re still about a day’s walk from the nearest Pokemon Center.”

“I feel like I won’t even last a day…” Ashley sinking down to her knees, from the heat and fanning herself with her hat. “How do people in Hoenn even handle it?”

Erika fanned herself as well, nodding. “I think Brock’s right, we could all use a break and we’re by a river so why don’t we all go for a swim? Now where did I pack my…”

“A-A-A s-swim, l-like in y’know, b-bathing suits?” Ashley swallowed, looking down at her developing body or well lack of development really. D-Cells still needed time to do their stuff and her body still looked distinctly masculine.

Erika hugged her. “It’s okay, you don’t have to show us anything you don’t want us to see right now, give it time okay? You’ll look just as beautiful as I am, one day. Personally, I think you already look adorable, as is. There’s nothing for you to be ashamed of…”

“...That’s your opinion…” Ashley muttered to herself, with a sigh. “I, I just still don’t feel right, y’know? Like… I still feel like a guy and if I change I’ll still have to see that thing hanging down between my legs and…”

“I understand,” Erika said, soothingly. “We won’t force you. Just one step at a time, okay?” 

Ashley nodded weakly, even as her adoptive sister kissed her on the forehead. 

“I'll be right back,” Erika said. “I’m going to go find a place to change, okay?”

Ashley sighed, wishing she could be as beautiful as her sister was and had the confidence to even try and attempt to be as beautiful. She balled up a fist and punched a tree in frustration, wincing in pain and took a deep breath and let it out. Erika was right, this wasn’t something she’d be able to do with a snap of her fingers.

This would require patience, something she was unfortunately terrible with.

“Why can’t I just be a girl now?” she asked, hoping she wasn’t sounding like she was whining. “I mean, Dittos can transform instantly, so why can’t I?”

She knew the answer, Dittos were biologically, genetically unstable and their unique DNA was what allowed them to transform safely. Humans, from what she’d been told by her doctor, if too many D-Cells were introduced into their body too rapidly, then they’d just break down completely and become little more than liquid on the floor.

She shuddered at the thought, as she sat down on a rock and tried not to look at herself in the water’s reflection. 

“Right… patience, haha,” Ashley chuckled to herself. “Come on Ashley, if you’re going to be the world’s greatest Pokemon Master, you can tough it out right? And… Diantha… She's like me, and she’s utterly drop dead gorgeous. Literal model, literal movie star, and if someone like her can be considered the most beautiful woman in the world, five years running…”

She smiled weakly, and wiped away a tear from her eye. She didn’t care about modeling, or anything like that, but Diantha was undeniably drop-dead gorgeous and… Great, she was feeling weird again. Not envious, at least not just that but something else as well. Just weird, a good kind of weird but she’d felt like this whenever she looked at Misty. 

“...okay, it’s gotta be just jealousy, it’s gotta be just that right?” she wondered aloud. “Wanting to be them, yeah that’s it!”

“I gotta ask,” Brock said in passing. “Given how over half of your Pokemon are flying types, I’m assuming you’re trying to be a Flying-Type Specialist?”

“Huh?” Ashley said. “No, it’s just… I’ve been capturing whatever crosses my path, that's all.”

“Huh, I could have sworn that…” Brock mused. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with specializing in a certain type, and in a way that’s easier as you get to know their strengths and weaknesses a lot quicker by experience. Just remember to cover for your weaknesses, that’s all!”

“I’m going to be the World’s Greatest Pokemon Master, so I have to train all types of Pokemon! I can’t just specialize in one type!”

“So that just means you have to catch a lot of Pokemon, of different types. You can’t just chuck your Pokeballs at the first Pokemon you see on every route, unless you want to challenge yourself and there’s nothing wrong with that! But!” Brock said. “If you want to really, and I mean really experience Kanto, you should really explore. Who knows what you’ll find!”

“And you’re the guy with the map, saying I should basically let myself get lost and get lucky?”

“Something like that, I know it sounds counter-intuitive but it’s like playing an RPG okay,” Brock said. “Exploration rewards the curious. It’s a big region, and-”

“You sound like Professor Oak.”

“I listen to his talk shows, his end of show haiku are really good,” Brock said, while feeding his Grotle an apple he’d picked off a nearby tree. “Here you go, Bolin… Besides, there’s nothing wrong with sounding like one of the most famous Pokemon professors in the world, right? I’m actually kinda flattered you think I sound like him!”

“...well, at least you’re not comparing my catches with how many Gary’s caught…” Ashley muttered. “The last time I talked to Professor Oak, before we left Cerulean City, he said Gary’s caught 40 Pokemon already.”

Brock sighed. “Okay, yeah, he shouldn’t have done that, especially with that nasty rivalry you two have. I know he’s trying to encourage you, but there’s better ways to go about it. Constantly comparing you two, yeah that’s just going to leave you with some serious self-worth issues on your end, I can already see signs of it from you and it’ll only feed Gary’s ego. Why Professor Oak didn’t think to get that under control, I don’t know. I guess nobody’s perfect, I suppose…”

“...Yeah… I suppose…” Ashley mumbled. “I just… I just wish…”

“You were more like Gary?” Brock said, bringing her in for a side hug. “Don’t, just don’t okay? Don’t start on that, you don’t need to be exactly like him. Everyone has their own style of Pokemon training, and well Gary’s got his style and you’ve got yours. Besides, from what I’ve seen you go for quality over quantity. 40 Pokemon, yeah there’s no way Gary can reasonably train that many realistically. I’ve only got about 20, and over half of those belong to the gym anyways, and were trained by my father.”

Ashley nodded in understanding. “Thanks Brocko…”

“What I’m here for, okay?” the older teen smiled. “So I have to ask, what is a Pokemon Master anyways?”

“Well, it’s like, it’s… uh…” Ashley struggled to explain, trying to find words and before she could the two were interrupted by a shout from Erika.

“Guys, over here!” Erika shouted. “Come quick, you need to see this!”

The two rushed over, to see Erika in a yellow bikini standing over an unconscious Houndour on the riverside with a Pokemon’s egg laying next to it. Ashley tried not to feel too jealous of how good, how womanly she looked, before her eyes widened at the egg. Or rather the size of it.

“That’s a big egg,” Ashley said, looking like she’d been hit with an Astonish. “...I wonder what sort of Torchic laid that one.”

Erika smacked her over the head with the Paper Fan of Doom for that one.

“Right, sorry,” Ashley said, leaning down to look the Houndour in the eye, the dog growling at her. “Hey, shhh… it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you, just… who did this to you bud?”

Ashley slowly reaches for the Houndour who backs away, instinctively putting himself between Ashley and the egg. He was still whimpering. “It's ok it's ok I won’t hurt you or the egg I promise. My name is Ashley, what’s yours?”

“Stay back, he might bite,” Brock said, ready to pull her back if need be. “That look in his eyes… see it?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“See the way he’s darting between all three of us, looking at all of us? He’s trying to work out if we’re a threat,” Brock warned. “He may try to bolt for an escape route if he sees one, I don’t like this at all. That look in his eyes… he’s terrified, and the way he’s looking at us, something happened to him. Something bad, and humans were involved.”

“So, what do you recommend?”

“Keep your distance, show him you’re not a threat,” Brock said. “And don’t get anywhere near the egg, Dark-types have hotter tempers than most and this one’s a part fire-type. He might suddenly bite you if he feels threatened, that egg… I don’t think it’s his, not in that way but I don’t think he cares anyways. That’s his egg, in his mind.”

Ashley nodded.

“Just stay calm, respect his space,” Brock said. “Whatever you do, don’t raise your voice. Pokemon are a lot more intelligent than people give them credit for, he’ll be able to pick up on your emotions. Canine Pokemon are especially good at this, so just be careful. I can’t stress that enough.”

Ashley swallowed, and nodded.

“I remember when Dark-types used to be called Evil-types by people who didn’t understand them at all,” Brock said as Erika frowned at the reminder, owning one herself. “They’re not violent, unless you trigger them in some way.”

Ashley, slowly but surely reaches into her pack and takes out some dried Tauros jerky she had gotten for any carnivore Pokemon she caught. She smiled, setting the jerky down. “Here you go, okay bud? Hungry?”

Hesitantly the Houndour sniffed the jerky then took it carefully, eyeing Ashley as he ate it. Little by little, the Houndour seemed to get a little more trusting before finally standing up on his two hind legs and barking madly.

“HOUN HOUN HOUND!” he whined pointing with a paw towards the forest he came downstream from: “Dour dour dour!”

It then dropped down dramatically acting like it just got hit by something and then stood back up again barking out: “DOUR DOUR DOUR!”

Hope, with a freaked look, hopped down next to the Houndour clearly understanding the dog’s words. Turning to her trainer, she frantically said: “PIKA PIKA PI PI!”

Ashley didn’t entirely understand her Pikachu, at least not in words but she understood she needed help. Houndour needed help. I don't know what’s going on but don’t worry, okay? We’re going to help, so just don’t worry okay?”

Brock just watched, nodding his head at Ashley's natural talent for empathizing with Pokemon. Years ago, someone with her natural understanding of Pokemon might have been run out of a village, or thought to be a Pokemon in disguise. But someone like her today was invaluable to a Breeder like him. “She is closer to being a Pokemon Master than she realizes but that’s something she has to figure out on her own.”

Erika just smiled at her sister, having similar thoughts along the same line as Brock’s.

“Ok, I'm gonna carefully take the egg now ok?” Ashley said, looking the Houndour in the eyes. “We can't leave it here and you clearly want to show us something.”

However hesitantly the Houndour nodded, and stood aside letting Ashley gently pick up the egg. Now that she had a good look at it, once again Ashley was struck by how unnaturally large it was. The egg was green, with white stripes and a pink top. 

“Wow, you’re a big boi aren’t you?” Ashley quipped.

“I don’t recognize it,” Erika said, having changed back into her kimono. “It’s not a Pokemon from Kanto, I’d guess. Brock, you’re into breeding, what’s your take on it? You recognize it?”

Brock sucked in a breath, and shook his head. “I wish I did. Sadly, I’m mostly self taught. Even if I wasn’t, most pokemon have dozens, sometimes even hundreds of egg styles, so looking it up would be… a challenge.”

“I’m not even sure I have room in my backpack for this… Is there even an incubator large enough for this egg?”

“There should be, Wailmer eggs can get pretty large though I haven’t seen a green Wailmer before so that one’s out,” Brock said, even as Ashley rooted around in her backpack trying to find space for the big egg. 

The Houndour looked in the backpack then nodded his head, clearly giving his approval. Ashley carefully set the egg inside her backpack, and turned back to the puppy.

“Ok, now please show us what's going on,” Erika said sweetly and the Houndour walked forward still on his hind legs. He wasn’t doing it as gracefully as a certain Meowth, it was more like hopping like a kangaroo honestly.

“...so what surprise is in store for us this time…?” Erika thought to herself, having a pit forming in her stomach already.

—--

“Oh, dere’s a nice catch…” Nyasu said, peering through binoculars. “Ever seen an egg that big before, because that’d be one heck of an omelet!”

“Imagine the money the boss would pay us if we brought that one in!” James said. “We’d be rich, rich, rich!”

“We’d be swimming in diamonds…” Jessie said, allowing herself to fantasize, seeing herself attended to by hot women while she sat naked in a bath of gemstones.

“Now hold on dere for a second, you really think the boss would care for an egg? He wants the Pokemon inside, you dolts,” Nyasu said. “Besides, don’t youse two think it’s a little low to steal a defenseless egg?”

“Yeah…” Jessie said. “A baby’s one thing, but an egg… Not even we’re that low, and we’re the bottom rung!”

“So wait till it hatches,” James said. “But if it hatches… which one of us is going to take care of a baby?”

“I went to nursing school so I could probably raise it, become it’s momma. Oh, it’ll be sooooo cute! I’ve always wanted to be a mom! Let me, I know what I’m doing!” Jessie said, and both James and Nyasu stared at her. “It’s true! I almost became a nurse!”

“You mean like a Doctor, like Joy?” James said, stunned. “I’m just imagining you in one of the Pokemon Centers, attending to trainers’ Pokemon and… yeah, no I can’t see it.”

“...I can’t see her as a mom either, not with dat nasty temper of hers…”

“WHAT WAS THAT?” Jessie snapped, trying to strangle Nyasu.

“Okay! Can we not try and kill each other?” James said. “It’s not like we have any money to pay anyone to bury us! All the same Jess, are you sure you can raise that baby Pokemon?”

“Oh ye of little faith,” Jessie said. “I got into medical school and everything! I even had a Chansey partner, me and this other woman from the Joy clan. Her name was… I think it was something starting with an M, I don’t remember it or what happened to her actually.”

“...so what happened, did ya flunk?”

“Well, no, not really, but I didn’t grow up with a lot of money and I couldn’t pay the tuition fees so I started stealing, little things at first. Enough to get by and pay for things like textbooks and other fees. But…” Jessie sighed. “I got caught. The look on Joy’s face when I was expelled… I’ll never forget it.”

“Oh Jess…” Nyasu said, rubbing her back. “Youse deserve better than Team Rocket, youse know that right?”

“No point now, and besides if I hadn’t fallen in with Team Rocket, I wouldn’t have met you two!”

“Awww Jessie, I knew you cared!” James said, hugging her.

“GET OFF ME! JAMES! NOT YOU TOO MEOWTH! Your claws are digging into my back!”

—--

Elsewhere, a man was walking through the woods. Dressed in a long black coat, he wore sunglasses to hide his eyes. Rather pale skinned, he had slicked back jet-black hair, and by his side was a rather fat Purrloin.

“Where are those useless hounds? If I lose that egg it will be the death of me!” At this, the Purrloin let a snickering laugh at his trainer. “QUIET you fool!”

He smacked the Purrloin, causing it to yowl and hiss at him.

His three Mightyena returned, one giggling madly as usual with his Koffing close behind. Their trainer growled out: “So did you worthless fools find it or not?”

Two of them stepped back in fear but the pack leader hesitantly stepped forward, nervously shaking her head.

“USELESS!” At this, he kicked the Pokemon hard, sending it flying into a tree with a yelp.  “Do you have ANY idea how dangerous the people I'm working for are? If I fail this mission I’m DEAD and if I'm dead SO ARE ALL OF YOU!”

He yanks a pokeball out of his pocket and tosses it and out pops a fearful looking Corvisquire.

“You’d better find me that egg and that blasted mutt or I will personally and slowly pluck out your feathers, give them to a Tinkatink then fry you and then EAT YOU!” he snarls out, gritting his teeth. The Corvisquire gulped and steps back nodding before taking flight, fearing for its life.

Next to him, his Purrloin laughed, enjoying when the sadism was not directed at him.

“Come Meowsly let's return to camp for now… Maybe I’ll be surprised and that bird will actually do his job,” the sadistic man beckoned as he walked off. “I spent a lot of good money getting ahold of one, he’d better be worth it.”

The Purrloin followed, the three Mightyena looking to their pack leader and licking her wounds. They shared a glance, and snarled at their ‘trainer’, already thinking of the best time to ditch him…

—--

Following the Houndour through the woods, Ashley suddenly heard a loud shriek and saw a dark-feathered corvid Pokemon flying overhead.

“What is THAT?” Ashley said, as she took out Dexter.

“Corvisquire, the Raven Pokémon. Smart enough to use tools in battle, these Pokémon have been seen picking up rocks and flinging them or using ropes to wrap up enemies. It’s said that the reason behind Corvisquire’s high level of intelligence is the large size of its brain relative to those of other bird Pokémon.”

“Huh wonder what it's doing here…” Brock mused.

“...is it…?” Ashley narrowed her eyes, seeing the bird flying right towards them.

“It is! Look out, it’s dive-bombing us!” Brock shouted, in warning.

Houndour let out a whimper, flashing back to when he was in in his egg. He remembered this bird, remembering the screams of what must have been his mother and the sound of a gun. He remembered his mother’s dying whimper, and remembered hatching in front of a man’s greed-filled eyes.

“HOOOOOOOUN!” Houndour started to panic, eyes bugging out. He was pointing at the bird and flapping his arms, barking out: “DOUR DOUR DOUR DOUR!” 

He then puffed out his chest and held his arms at a 90 degree angle pointed down, stomping around menacingly. Dropping to all 4 like a normal Houndour, he barked and then gasped and fell backwards playing dead, tongue lolled out.

The 3 humans stared in confusion. But Hope? Hope was sparking mad, glaring at the bird. “Pika pi!”

Ashley nodded.

“Alright then… I don't know what’s going on here, but Houndour… you’re terrified of that bird aren’t you? Don’t worry, I’ll handle it, so don’t be scared okay?” she said, soothingly before crying out: “HOPE USE THUNDERBOLT!” 

“PIKACHUUUUUU!” Hope cried out, trying to use Thunderbolt. However, as she hadn’t practiced with it, all she managed was a lower powered Thunder Shock attack.

“Guess we need to work at that a little bit more,” Ashley said “OH well, fine! Thunder Shock, Hope! Hit it with all you’ve got!”

The raven’s entire body glowed, as it flew into a Take Down at Hope.

“Dodge, and into Iron Tail!” Hope leapt to the side then slammed her glowing tail into the bird from behind. Her own momentum added to the bird, sent it flying hard into a tree.

“Did we get it?” Ashley asked, taking a nervous step back.

But the bird staggers to its feet, refusing to lose. The terrifying words of its trainer repeated in its head, as it let out a crow of: “CORRRRRRRVVVIIII!”

Hope paused briefly and looked back at her trainer. ashley looked at Hope, in concern asking: “What is it, girl?”

“Ashley!” Brock shouted, the Corvisquire slashing through the air, blades of wind flying into Hope who let out a cry of pain. Taking its chance to fly off, the Corvisquire took to the air.

“Oh no you don’t! Hope, Thunder Shock!” Hope, reluctantly, let another bolt fly and sent the bird crashing into the dirt. “Okay, that has to have done it…”

However, the bird was rising up for another go, in obvious pain but refusing to give up.

“Wow, he’s a fighter…” Ashley said, stunned.

“This isn’t a normal Pokemon battle,” Brock said, sharing a look with Erika, seeing the terror in the bird’s eyes. “It’s fighting for its life.”

“Huh?”

“Ashley, let me,” Brock said, holding a hand up reminding Ashley of that dinosaur movie hero she’d seen once and slowly approaching the bird. “It’s okay, we’re not going to hurt you, alright? Here, I’m a friend. I’ve got some nice Pokebeans, is that what you want?”

“COR COR COR!” it says in anger, flapping its wings, even as Brock slowly approached the bird. 

“It’s alright, here… is this what you want?” Brock asked, gently setting the beans in front of the bird.

The raven rushed forwards, using a wing to smack Brock aside and drawing blood.

“PIKA PI!” Hope shouts at the bird before zapping it, her previous sympathy out the window now that it’s harmed Brock. “PIKA PI PI PI!”

“No wait, don’t!” Brock shouted, in warning.

The Corvisquire falls once more badly hurt. “Corv… Corv…” it pants slowly staggering to its feet and glowing white, growing larger.

“It’s… Is it evolving? Even after all that?” Erika said, stunned. “Brock, be careful!”

“It’s alright, just leave this to me. Leave it to Brocko. Bolin, use Sweet Scent to calm it down!” Brock said, letting the grass turtle out.

From the grass-type’s leaves, a beautiful aroma wafted towards the bird and it immediately started to calm down.

“That’s it…” Brock said, feeding the bird some beans, as it leaned into his touch. Erika and Ashley just watched in awe. “That’s it… Someone hurt you, didn’t they? The same person who hurt Houndour, right?”

“Corv…” the large raven said, letting out a little cry of fear.

“Can you lead us to him?” Brock asked, gently. “Whoever did this to you, we can’t let him get away with this. Don’t worry, nobody’s ever going to hurt you again, I promise.”

“Corv…” the bird said, seeing nothing but love in Brock’s eyes, and gesturing deeper into the forest with a wing.

“That way?” Brock asked.

“That… that way…” the bird mimicked, and fell forwards accidentally letting himself be sucked into a Heal Ball on Brock’s belt.

Brock’s eyes hardened.

“Okay then… That’s what we’ll do.”

—--

In the bushes, Nyasu’s eyes widened in horror.

“Cooking Twerp’s pretty good, isn’t he?” James asked, before he saw the look on Nyasu’s face.

“By Arceus… What dat bird said, what he’s been through, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemies… Its trainer… no I can’t call him dat, he’s a monster. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but those twerps… they’re gonna need our help!”

“You’re surely joking!” Jessie said, as Nyasu glared at her.

“I swear on my lucky charm, no I’m not. That monster, he needs to be stopped. Now we’ve done bad things, but that man… he’s like bad bad understand? And if you ask me, he should prepare for trouble…”

-----

Ashley’s eyes widened as she saw the camp site, and saw the eggs inside boxes.

“...he… those are…” she said, fighting back tears. “...he’s got a whole collection…”

“Erika,” Brock said, eyes narrowed. “Get to the nearest Pokemon center, or anywhere with a phone. Contact Officer Jenny, she needs to know about this.”

“You really think you can handle this guy all by yourselves?” Erika started before Brock held up a hand.

“It’s not just us,” Brock said, pulling out his pokeballs with Ashley following suit. “We’ve got our Pokemon, right?”

“Okay, just… just be careful, alright?” Erika nodded, before dashing off. 

Brock and Ashley snuck into the camp, hiding amongst the undergrowth as the sun set casting an orange glow amongst the trees.

“So where’s the poacher?” Ashley wondered. “Did he step out to pee or something?”

“I don’t think we should look a gift Ponyta in the mouth,” Brock said, as they snuck towards the crates. “Let’s just grab these eggs, and be gon… oh no. That bastard, I don’t believe it!”

“What is it?” Ashley said as she followed Brock’s gaze, seeing a blue Pokemon with a round head, and a tiny body inside a very small tank. A long ribbon-like antenna gently swayed behind the Pokemon, eyes filled with tears. It seemed to be begging, pleading for help that it thought would never come.

“He’s got a Phione! That heartless…” Brock swore under his breath, doubtlessly saying words Erika would use her fan on him if she’d heard. “That tank’s way too small for it, Misty would lose it if she saw this!”

Ashley pulled out Dexter, and scanned the sea angel Pokemon.

“Phione, the Sea Drifter Pokémon. It drifts in warm seas. It always returns to where it was born, no matter how far it may have drifted.”

“Haha, like it?” said a voice from behind them and both trainers turned to see the Poacher. “Name’s Mark. Mark Malavalance, not that I’ll let you remember my name. Found that one in the seas off Sunyshore City, that one’ll fetch me a pretty penny when I sell her off.”

“Sell her off…” Ashley growled, as Houndour trembled behind her, playing dead and holding up a rose. “You’re not doing anything of the kind, not if we have anything to say about it!”

“Count me in too,” Brock said, reaching for Quake’s Pokeball. “Tag-team!”

The massive rock snake loomed over the Poacher, roaring in rage as Ashley threw out one of her own Pokeballs.

“PIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDGGGGGEEEEE!” Gale called, a look of fury on her face. Brock and Ashley’s other Pokemon were quick to follow after them.

“Common, worthless…” Mark said. “Nothing really noteworthy I see, even if that Onix was trained by a gym leader. Any half-decent Pokemon hunter can catch one. Come back to me when you’ve got something actually interesting.”

“Pokemon aren’t just something you can assign values to, and put prices on,” Brock said, truly disgusted. “You’re not a trainer, you don’t even care about your own Pokemon. I saw what you did to your Corviknight, it was terrified of going back to you!”

“Oh so that worthless bird actually evolved?” Mark said. “Mhmmm, give him to me along with that Houndour and the egg back to me and maybe I’ll forget I ever saw you.”

“Oh we’ve got something for you alright, it’s called an asskicking!” Ashley snapped.

“Is that so?” the poacher said, pulling out two dark purple Pokeballs, enlarging them. “Stole these from Team Rocket, one of their little projects. I don’t think they’d miss a few, they’ve got plenty as is. I only took what I needed. They’re called Master Balls, any Pokemon they're thrown at will be caught, no struggle for them. And I’ve made sure my captures obey me, without question. They’re slaves to my command.”

“Like I said, you’re not a trainer,” Brock said, with a growl. “You don’t care a single bit about actually raising your Pokemon. They're terrified of you! That's the only reason they obey you! Love, care, that’s how you bring out their true strength!”

“Oh, so you want to bet on that?” Mark said with a laugh. “How about you bet your life! Salazzle, Chi-Yu, let’s go!”

One of the Pokemon was a curvy dark-scaled pokemon, resembling a salamander or a lizard. The other was a fish made completely of flames, with curved jade beads as eyes.

Salazzle’s eyes were completely soulless and Ashley’s eyes widened as her male Pokemon seemed to be instinctively drawn towards her. Even Brock lumbered forwards like a zombie towards the poisonous Pokemon.

“Ha, little fact for you. Salazzle often have an entire harem of males following after them, their lovesick slaves! People, pokemon, it doesn’t matter, her pheromones work equally well on both!” Mark said. “Chi-Yu, now finish them all off with your Flame Charge!”

The fish rocketed forwards, leaving a burning inferno in his wake as a ring of fire surrounded the campsite. Gale was thrown to the side, almost completely unconscious and Hope wasn’t looking much better.

“So… I’ll be taking my things back now…” Mark said, looming over Ashley before bright lights lit up the campsite.

Spotlights shown on two distinctive figures, and a feline Pokemon as music played from speakers somewhere nearby.

“Prepare for trouble!”

“And make it double!”

“To protect the world from devastation!”

“To unite all peoples within our nation!”

“To denounce the evils of truth and love!”

“To extend our reach to the stars above!”

“Jessie!”

“And James!”

“Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light!”

“Surrender yourself or prepare to fight!”

“Meowth, that’s right!” Nyasu said devoid of his usual enthusiasm, claws bared and a furious look on his face.

“Oh great… as if things weren’t bad enough,” Ashley sighed.

“Don’t worry Twerpette, we’re not here for you, not this time,” Jessie said. “That guy right here though… He makes us real thieves look terrible! Thievery is an art, and he makes us look like a joke! There’s a certain honor in the profession, and he’s got none of it!”

“Yeah, what Jess said,” Nyasu said. “No costumes, no tricks, just the real Team Rocket! We may be the bad guys, but we're not bad bad! We put the ‘good’ in ‘bad’, and youse should understand that! Dat man, dat monster, he sure doesn’t! Stealin’ defenseless eggs is an all time low, even for us!”

“Now, watch some real masters of their craft show him how it’s done!” James said, smashing open a cage holding some young Pidgey and releasing them as they swarmed Mark. The remains of the Pidgey’s eggshells were scattered inside the cage. “So what was that you were saying about common Pokemon again?”

Ashley and Brock stared stunned, the TRio was… helping them?

The poacher was shouting: “Nab them, jab them, tab them, grab them, just stop those Pidgey now!”

One Pidgey grabbed Salazzle’s Master Ball and Nyasu grabbed the second.

“Youse should take better care of your things!” Nyasu said.

“Kisame! Sand Attack!” James ordered, with the Wimpod throwing sand into Mark’s face, blinding him as he tried to grab the balls back.

“And what’s yours is mine and what’s mine is no longer yours!” Nyasu said, using his Fury Swipes to destroy the balls, slicing them in two.

“STOP THEM!” Mark snarled at his Pokemon as the Salazzle and Chi-Yu fled into the wild, never to be seen again. His Koffing just shrouded himself in smoke and the three Mightyena turned up their noses and walked off. “TRAITORS!”

“How can someone betray you, if they were never on your side?” Nyasu wagged his finger. “They’ve all been looking for an excuse to escape from your abuse! Oh look, speaking of things escaping…”

Mark roared in rage to see Ashley and Brock grabbing as many eggs as they could along with Phione’s tank.

“Our work here is done,” Nyasu said as they dashed off. “Team Rocket’s blastin’ off again!”

Mark ground his teeth seeing everything fall apart and Meowlsy is sitting next to him snickering: “Purr purr purr!”

Mark then smacked the cat hard across the head. “QUIET YOU FOOL!”

Ashley looked like she might be sick. “H-How could you? How could you strike your own Pokemon like that? I knew you were twisted but that's just-”

Mark glared at the girl. “I don't tell you how to treat your worthless electric rodent! Don't tell me how to treat my sidekick!” he snapped back at her.

Ashley spat at her. “I’ll tell you how to raise Pokemon as I please!”

“Now how about you hand over that egg. It's very important that I give it to my client. You can keep the stupid Houndour for all I care. It's worthless to me now that it's hatched,” Mark said, his slicked back hair coming undone. A long strand was hanging in his face, the man was clearly getting desperate.

Ashley just tossed him a disgusted look. “Houndour is a he, not an it. It's over, you're clearly out of pokemon so just give up, I’m not handing over the egg or anything else to you! The police will be here soon so just give up!”

Mark looked around and grit his teeth then grinned sadistically. “Drat and double drat! You’re right. I admit I don't have any more Pokemon besides Meowsly and this fat thing is worthless in battle but I still have one trick up my sleeve!”

He reached into his coat, pulling out a revolver and aimed it at Ashley. Brock’s eyes widened in horror.

“Now hand over the egg OR ELSE!” he said with a snarl, his hand shaking. “Yeah that's right, you trainers rely too much on your Pokemon when sometimes good old fashioned guns work much better!”

Meowsly laughed at this too, wondering if the kid would get shot.

“NOW HAND THE EGG OVER!” Mark thundered.

“I REFUSE I DON'T CARE IF YOU SHOOT ME!” Ashley said, with both Hope and Brock letting out gasps of horror.

“Ashley!”/“Pikapi!”

“So that’s how it is huh? Then DIE!” he shouted in anger and pulled the trigger. But Houndour, in a panic leaped towards Mark and tackled him to the ground, with Mark trying to aim the gun at him instead.

Before he could line up his shot, Hope smacked the gun out of his hand with her Iron Tail. Mark groaned in pain as the electric rodent furiously glared at the vile excuse for a human being.

“PIKAPI!” she said to her trainer, standing between her and Mark.

Mark, sweating, said: “Now now, shouldn't you be worried about your friend?”

Hope glanced back towards Ashley and her Houndour but that was all Mark needed to kick her away.

“MEOWSLY! We’re getting out of here!”

With that, he bolted off into the woods with his fat cat following.

—--

Mark and Meowsly ran through the woods, Mark ranting all the while and shouting: “This is all your fault if you weren’t so pathetic and worthless we wouldn’t even be in this mess!”

Meowsly growled at Mark but decided now wasn’t really the time to bicker. Suddenly a large blast ripped through the ground before them making them fall over each other.

A woman, dressed in purple military fatigues stepped out wearing a strange device on on her right arm. She had short green hair, a military buzzcut and wore a pair of sunglasses.

“The Mistress is very very displeased,” the woman said in a mischievous voice, followed by a red flash of an unknown Pokemon being recalled.

Mark froze on the spot, stammering out: “M-Melody!” 

The woman, with an eerily serene sort of smile said: “Please do not say my name. I don’t like it when trash uses my name so would you kindly not say it again.”

Mark just nodded. “R-Right, l-look I know things are bad right now, I know how they look b-but I can recover the eggI swear!”

“Oh no it's much too late for that. I saw the whole thing. You lost the alpha and you even lost the Kanto eggs.”

“Y-yes th-that is true,” he sweated, Meowsly was also panicking.

The woman aimed her device at the Purrloin, firing a beam that turned Meowsly into solid bronze. “That Purrloin of yours is rather large, perhaps a unique breed even. I’m sure we can find a buyer for it.”

Mark stared in shock, before groveling: “Yes yes you can have Meowsly see so we're good right?”

The woman sighed, rubbing her forehead. Keeping her sweet tone, she slowly raised her voice saying: “Good you think we are good? Oh no, we’re far from that, after all you lost an extremely rare Alpha’s egg.”

She slammed her heel down onto the pathetic excuse for a man’s arm, as he howled in pain.

“You wanted to join our organization with your tactics? The ones which do nothing but damage the merchandise? My Mistress was already questioning your value to her, but this I think will make up her mind. You are worthless, you aren’t even worth any of the money we paid you. We gave you one chance, and you failed completely.”

Mark crawled forward grabbing onto Melody’s leg, before she kicked him away. “Please please give me another chance! Wait, I know we can stop those brats together!”

He clung onto her, accidentally ripping the device off her arm and it clattered to the ground.

Her sweet demeanor faded, and her true face was revealed.

“DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!” she growled, tossing him aside and snarled out: “ONLY MY LADY IS FIT TO TOUCH ME!”

She saw her device had a crack on the screen.

“Oh, look at that, you broke my Bronzizer,” her sweet tone returned and she clicked her tongue, shaking her head. “I was going to make this painless but you’ve just cost me quite a lot of money replacing that. So, instead…”

She pulled out a revolver, aiming it at the crying man.

“Please no!” Mark begged, she then shot him in his left shoulder then his right as he howled in pain.

“Yes please sing for me, you worthless man thing,” she said sweetly then shot each of his knees enjoying the screams as she shot him in the gut. Blood pooled out onto the ground. “Shame these things only have 6 shots oh well. It was fun while it lasted.”

She then shot Mark in the head, the loud bang echoing through the forest and birds flying. Taking out a Rotom phone, she dialed her boss.

“Milady, I have unfortunate news. That idiot Mark failed us, as you suspected he would. No, I can't recover the merchandise at this time the police are coming,” Melody said before nodding. “I see the client had canceled the job anyways oh well. I may have discovered something else of value though. No, I can't make any report until I’m sure so I'm going to observe things here for a bit.”

Melody nodded in understanding.

“Yes, I'll make sure to avoid Team Rocket. We can't have a crime war after all, Giovanni doesn’t scare me like you do but I’m going to avoid stepping on their toes. Yes ma’am, I understand. I’ll contact you when I have more information Mistress. I love you.”

Melody grinned to herself, glowing with a sickly purple aura.

“That young girl has the power too. I could sense it and hers is much stronger than mine. Impressive, the old stories say those with such a strong aura are said to be drawn to Legendaries. I’ll have to keep an eye on her…”

-----

“Ashley?” Erika said, looking up, eyes widening even as police vans pulled up with the local Office Jenny commanding her Growlithes to fan out and search the forest.

She saw her sister, shaking and raced to pull her into a hug. And that’s when she heard it, the sound of Ashley crying and Erika instinctively wrapped her arms around her.

“What did you see?” she asked, and Ashley only sobbed harder. In her soul, Erika knew something had been broken inside her sister and her innocence was lost forever.

Whoever that poacher was, damn him.

Damn him.

Chapter Text

“Can’t sleep either?” 

Erika nearly felt her heart stop, as she heard the voice behind her and felt her heartbeat slowly but steadily return to normal.

“...Don’t scare me like that Brock, I may be petite but I’ve still got enough power to throw you over my shoulder and put you in the hospital,” Erika said, slowing her breathing. “...but yeah, you’re right. I can’t sleep either.”

Brock guided her to a chair in the Pokemon Center, and sat down next to her on a nearby couch.

“...It’s Ashley, isn’t it?” the older teen said, knowingly with a sage look on his face.

“...yeah, how’d you guess?”

“I’ve seen that look on my siblings' faces whenever they’re really worried about something,” Brock said, leaning back with a sigh. “...It’s not the first time I’ve been up at night, worried sick myself either.”

“Ashley, she just… she just broke down in my arms,” Erika said. “I… I should have been there to help you.”

“It wouldn’t have made much difference, that poacher… that, I can’t even call him a man as no real man would mistreat Pokemon like that. It utterly disgusts me as a Breeder. But he… he had incredibly powerful Pokemon, both of them fire-types. You would have been overwhelmed, even with your experience as a gym leader,” Brock said. “Besides, you had to go get the police.”

“I still should have been there to help!” Erika said. “And you heard what Jenny said, they scoured the forest and they couldn’t find any trace of that ma… that monster in man’s skin! He probably got away, we’ll probably run into him again and… and…”

She fought back a sob.

“...whatever Ashley saw, whatever happened to her, I just don’t want him to traumatize her any more than he already has!” Erika said, still fighting back tears. “I should have been there to help! I should have, as her older sister!”

“You might have been killed, we were lucky to get away to begin with. We needed Team Rocket’s help just as a distraction to get away with the eggs,” Brock said, still in a state of disbelief.

“Team Rocket?” Erika said, turning to stare at him in surprise. “You didn’t mention that part!”

“...yeah, I’m still working on processing it myself,” Brock said with a sigh. “It’s the same TRio we saw at Mount Moon, and the ones you mentioned harassed you in Viridian. They’re like your stalkers, I guess.”

“...That’s reassuring,” Erika sighed. “...knowing we’ll keep running into them, with our luck being the way it is. I have to get stronger, to protect Ashley, I have to keep getting stronger… Sometimes I feel so useless! I’m her older sister, I’m supposed to be able to protect her!”

“You’re not useless, Erika,” Brock said, reaching out to squeeze her hand reassuringly. “You’ve been Ashley’s guide since she left Pallet Town. You’re more help than you give yourself honest credit for, you helped her find her true self and something tells me she wouldn’t have made it as far as she has without you by her side.”

“Yeah, I suppose…” Erika mused. “...still, I just feel like I’m not helping her enough, that’s all.”

“I know how you feel, I’ve been kept up nights time and time again worrying if I’m not doing enough for my own siblings,” Brock said. “With mom… Well, I don’t know where she is by this point, probably living in Alola right now, and with dad on the road… I’ve had to figure out most of this by myself.”

“You don’t deserve that,” Erika said. “It’s not your responsibility to be both an older sibling and a parent.”

“Can’t do nothing about it now,” Brock said, sounding rather bitter though he was clearly trying not to let it show. “Dad’s back now, so everything’s alright now.”

“He shouldn’t have to come back,” Erika said with a growl. “He should never have left in the first place!”

“Like I said,” Brock said, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice. “Can’t change the past, not unless you know a Celebi somewhere.”

“...give me time…” Erika said, sounding like she was only half-joking about that. “Give me time, and I’ll capture every grass-type in the world.”

“Heh,” Brock said with a chuckle. “I’ve got no doubt you can do just that.”

“Anyways…” Erika said. “Ashley, what did you both see?”

“It’s not my place to say, she… it’s Ashley’s place to tell her story, and whatever you do, don’t think of trying to push her until she’s ready to open up about it,” Brock said, warningly. “You can’t force anything out of her, not until she wants to talk about it and I can only guess when that’ll be.”

“I know, all the same…” Erika sighed. “She was crying in my arms, utterly broken and I just… I just want to know how to help her, and who to send blasting off for doing this to her.”

“Get in line,” Brock said, protectively before Erika yawned. “Listen, you should probably at least try and get some sleep, it’s still a long way to Vermillion.”

“Yeah, g’night…”

Sleep still didn’t come easily though, and Erika tossed and turned. All she could think about was her sister and the feeling of overwhelming failure. She knew she couldn’t protect her from the world forever, but she still felt responsible for her loss of innocence somehow.

It felt like a personal failing, even if the logical side of her brain knew she’d had nothing to do with it. It was all that poacher’s fault, he was the reason Ashley was in so much pain and honestly, Erika didn’t know what she’d do if she met up with him again. Honestly, the thought of letting him feel her precious Gloom’s most toxic spores was an ironically soothing one. She never thought she’d feel sadistic, but the screams of a poacher’s pain allowed herself some very happy dreams that night. What he’d done to her sister, it was completely unforgivable.

—--

The next morning, they were on the road again. Houndour, now christened Moltenpaw, stuck to Ashley’s side like glue. He seemed shockingly small for such a large canine, though given how skittish he was every little sound made him retreat into himself.

“...wow, I didn’t know a Houndour could learn Withdraw,” came a voice from the road ahead. “Talk about a little wimp!”

Moltenpaw immediately hid behind Ashley’s legs, with mixed success from the loud voice. He let out a scream, his eyes practically bugging out of their skull.

A girl, wearing a school uniform was on the road ahead with dark brown hair cascading past her shoulders. She looked to be about Ashley’s age, maybe a bit older.

“You know, if you’re relying on that Pokemon to protect you, maybe you should get a refund. Trade up,” the girl, with a distinct Kalosian accent said. “I mean, with a Pokemon like that you can’t do any worse!”

Ashley immediately went on the defensive, glaring furiously at the girl.

“Yeah, who are you? And what’s it matter to you anyways?” Ashley said. “Moltenpaw saved my life, so shut up about things you don’t know about!”

“What’d he do, fish you out of a creek?” the girl mocked. “That dog, I can’t see him doing anything brave. Better hope you don’t fall down a well, because I don’t think he’s coming to save you!”

Ashley growled, sounding rather like her dark-type’s fearsome reputation in the moment. 

“I said shut it!” she snapped. “Who are you anyways?”

“That uniform,” Brock noted. “I swear I’ve seen it before, now where… Ah! Now I remember, I thought about sending one of my little sisters to that academy!”

“So why didn’t you?” Ashley said.

“Academy?” Erika blinked, and Ashley turned to look at the older teen as Erika repeated: “Academy? What academy?”

“I know I have a flyer for it in here somewhere, hold on…” Brock said, rooting around in his backpack. “Come on, where are you…? Ah, here it is!”

He pulled out a paper, and began reading from it, Ashley and Erika leaning in to see.

“Ah, here we go. The Pokémon Technical Institution. It says right here, a boarding school for serious Pokémon trainer preparation. All students are guaranteed to enter Pokémon League upon graduation. Pokémon Technical is the educational facility for exceptional students who want to be Pokémon trainers in a very short time, without having to travel on difficult badge collecting journeys.”

“...ah, now I see why,” Ashley deadpanned, Erika looking flatout insulted.

“...well that’s just grand, giving students a free ride to the League without having them go through all of the necessary real-life lessons,” Erika said. “It defeats the point of the whole gym challenge.”

“I’m right here you know!” the academy lass said, stamping her foot and looking annoyed at being ignored.

“Hush, the adults are talking,” Erika said, her pride as a gym leader pretty dented. “Ah, wait, there’s more. Student entrance fees and tuition are in keeping with the high standards set by Pokémon Technical.”

“And I’ll have you know it was worth every penny,” Giselle said. “By the academy’s standards, I’m ready to challenge Misty because my Pokemon are at a three badge level!”

Ashley, who actually had challenged Misty, looked skeptical, deadpanning: “Uh huh, and how do you know that?”

“The simulations said so.”

Ashley looked ready to explode, attempting to keep her voice perfectly calm as she asked: “The what now?”

“Yes, the simulations,” Giselle said. “Normally I wouldn’t dirty myself by going on the road, but the best Tech students have proven themselves by battling their pokemon at the appropriate levels against perfectly simulated opposition.”

“...level system?” Ashley blinked.

“You know, attack power, health, defense. That’s something every basic trainer should know,” the lass replied, Ashley distinctly getting the feeling like she was being lectured instead of given gentle advice. 

“...you make real life sound like a video game, life isn’t like that one manhwa,” Ashley drawled.

“And I’m more than just your basic trainer. I’m the top beginner in the school, meaning that’s better than three badges! It's sad that others aren't blessed with my beauty, my talents, my humble attitude. People call me a star, but I'm just Giselle.”

Ashley didn’t like this girl, somehow she reminded her of herself. She was pretty, but apparently beauty only went skin deep. Misty was a lot prettier.

“...so did you read a different dictionary or does the word humble mean something else in Kalos,” she deadpanned. “For the record, I beat Misty’s top team so why don’t you put your money where your mouth is and fight me instead? You won’t have to get your fancy designer-brand shoes all muddy walking all the way to the Cerulean City gym.”

“Actually,” Giselle said, reaching for one of her Pokeballs inside her equally expensive looking bag and enlarging it. “That’s not a bad idea. If you’re not just boasting, and you actually did beat Misty, then challenging you should be just as fulfilling for me as challenging her. That is, if you weren’t just boasting in an attempt to make yourself sound more attractive as girlfriend material.”

“Making myself sound more…” Ashley stared, dumbfounded. “The hell?”

“Go on, let’s see if you can back up your words. Unless you’re, you know… Too Torchic,” Giselle said, doing a little chicken dance.

Erika just stared dumbfounded, as Brock very wisely stepped aside out of the firing line having already recognized how close Ashley was to blowing her top.

“OH THAT DOES IT!” Ashley snapped. “Moltenpaw, get in there. Wipe that smug look off her face! I’m tired of looking at it!”

Moltenpaw was curled up in a sleeping bag covered in little flames, snoring or at least pretending to. Everyone collectively facefaulted.

“Okay, this is your five alarm wake up call!” Ashley said, grabbing her Houndour by the scruff of his neck and physically tossing him into battle. The pokemon, with a yelp, rolled along the ground before feigning a dramatic sigh as if to say ‘if I have to…’

“Go my shining star! Go, Yorick!” Giselle said, kissing the Love Ball and tossing it with the Cubone inside letting out a battle cry.

“Cubone, bone bone!” the little dinosaur said, swiping at the air with his bone.

“Careful Ashley, as arrogant as that girl is, her Cubone does look pretty well-looked after!” Erika said, in warning with Ashley nodding in acknowledgement.

“One on one then?” Giselle asked.

“Fine by me!” Ashley replied.

“...she’s not serious is she, if this is her star she’d never defeat Misty,” Ashley thought to herself. “Then again, I’m the last one to talk about type advantages after Brock and Misty’s battles so… Yeah, Erika’s right, if Cubone is this well trained then he might actually be a challenge.”

“I’ll let you go first,” Ashley said, doing a mock-curtsy. “Since you’re so sure of your ability to win.”

“That’ll be your mistake, then! Yorick, Bonemerang!” Giselle said, as her first command.

As the flying bone spun towards Moltenpaw, he trembled in place and let out another bug-eyed scream.

“Don’t worry, she can’t hit you if she can’t see you! Moltenpaw, Smog!” Ashley said, and her Houndour sucked in a breath before breathing out caustic ash and soot covering the battlefield in a thick and heavy smoke.

Yorick’s bone rebounded off a tree, Moltenpaw having taken advantage of the confusion to dodge the attack. Giselle was coughing even as the smoke cleared, her opponent shaking in place but looking unharmed.

“From above, Bone Club!” Giselle shouted, and her Cubone leaped into the air with his bone raised above his head and glowing white.

“Dodge it, and wrap him up in your Fire Spin!” Ashley said, an attack her Pokemon was all too happy to obey.

Skidding out of the way of the strike, Moltenpaw then blasted a stream of flame which wrapped around Yorick like a fiery tornado.

“Got you, your Cubone’s trapped in the flames now!” Ashley said, having read up on Moltenpaw’s moves earlier. While the dog had much less experience in battle, he knew some pretty good keepaway moves along with ones to draw out the battle and tire Cubone out.

“Yorick, Leer!” Giselle said, and the Cubone glared at Moltenpaw who seemed frozen in place.

Yorick however, let out a cry of pain from the flames wrapped around him with the inferno licking away at his scales. 

“Howl!” Ashley said. “Show him your best war cry!”

Moltenpaw’s ‘howl’ turned out to be a weak little whimper and Ashley facepalmed. Giselle broke down laughing, clutching her gut in pain as she cackled like a Murkrow.

“...sigh, I suppose I should have seen that one coming,” Ashley said, sinking to the ground with her legs splayed across the dirt. 

“Leer, again!” Giselle said, even as flames danced across her ground-type’s scales. “Come on, hang in there! Draw this battle out, wait for an opening and then strike!”

“Sunny Day!” Ashley said, and the already warm Kanto sun seemed to grow harsher as it beat down on the battlefield.

“Smart, so you’re not a total coward,” Giselle said, as Ashley rolled her eyes at the backwards sounding compliment. Even Gary’s remarks had more bite than this girl. “You’re powering up your fire attacks, maybe you really did beat Misty with that little mutt.”

“Ember!” Ashley said, and Moltenpaw let out a little burst of flame sending the Cubone rolling into a boulder. Yorick rose, but flinched, now burned. “Feeling the heat yet? Might want to stay out of the kitchen then!”

“Bone Club! You can beat this brat!” Giselle said, and her Cubone lunged forwards with his bone.

“Dodge!” Ashley said, and Moltenpaw leaped out of the way as Yorick crash-landed into the dirt. “Now, counterattack! Smog, again!”

More thick and heavy smoke filled the battlefield and Giselle couldn’t see Moltenpaw so she couldn’t call out an attack.

“Give up yet?”

“No! It’s against my pride as a Pokemon Tech student!” Giselle said. “It’d be an insult to Yorick if I gave up now!”

“...Well, gotta respect that, I suppose!” Ashley said, with a shrug. “Ember, now!”

And another little spurt of flame erupted from Moltenpaw’s mouth, knocking Yorick flat. Little swirls were in the ground-type’s eyes, as it lay in the dirt completely unconscious.

“I… I lost?” Giselle asked, stunned and with tears in her eyes barely managing to call back her defeated Pokemon to its ball.

Suddenly, Ashley didn’t feel so great about winning and felt a distinct sense of deja vu. Giselle, right now?

She reminded Ashley of her when she’d lost to Misty back then.

Giselle? She reminded Ashley of herself.

—--

“Hey, you alright?” Ashley said, after healing Moltenpaw with a spray. Walking up to Giselle in an attempt to comfort her, she reached out to wrap a comforting arm around her in the way she knew Erika or Brock might after a loss.

Right now, more than anything, Ashley could tell what Giselle needed wasn’t someone gloating over a victory but a friend.

“Qu'est-ce que... que vient de se passer? Je... Est-ce que je viens de perdre?” Giselle asked, slipping into her native tongue. “Mais je pensais... Mais l'école a dit que je ne pouvais pas perdre!”

Her eyes grew fierce as she wiped away tears and she whirled on Ashley. Suddenly, Ashley found herself on the ground, rubbing a stinging cheek.

“You cheat!” Giselle said, wetly, the tears returning. “You must… Merde, tu as sûrement dû.. You must have put all of your pokemon on drugs, performance enhancers! There’s no way I could have lost!”

“Performance enhancers?” Ashley said, trying to hold back her own temper and knowing it wouldn’t help the situation right now. “I’m not Lance Armstrong! I don’t give my Pokemon steroids! What kind of girl do you think I am, anyways?”

“One that beat me, somehow!” Giselle said. “And if you’re not lying, if you didn’t use performance enhancers then… No, Pokemon Tech can’t be wrong! It can’t be! My parents paid me good money to get me into that school!”

Ashley couldn’t help it, it slipped out before she could manage to stop herself. Snarkily, she deadpanned: “Maybe the school overcharged your folks?”

She clapped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she’d said, seeing Giselle look like she might cry again.

“Allez vous faire foutre!” she snapped before dashing off.

“Giselle, wait!” Ashley said, trying to grab her by the hand.

“Leave me alone, you cheat!” the girl yelled back at her, running off.

“...wow, that was… talk about unladylike,” Erika said and Ashley glared at her. “Ladies take their losses gracefully!”

“She just had her whole world crash down around her,” Ashley said. “It’s a bit harsh, isn’t it? I, as a lady, should go help her out. I was in the same situation a little while ago, in cash you forgot?”

Erika winced, having the decency to look embarrassed and ashamed.

“...wait, wasn’t Pokemon Tech that way?” Brock said, looking at his map and then at the direction in which Giselle had run.

“...yeah, and the only thing that way is… oh crap, the Cerulean Caves,” Ashley said. “Brock, can I borrow your Corvisquire? She’s the only thing fast enough to catch up at the speed she’s going! I caused this mess, and I’ve got to clean up after myself. A lady, as Erika might say,” she gave her sister a little stink eye, “Has her responsibility to deal with messes of her own making.”

“Here,” Brock said, handing her the steel-type’s Heal Ball. “Go get her.”

“Come on out Raevyn!” Ashley said, as she hopped onto the bird’s back. “Come on, let’s fly!”

—--

Ashley, she’d heard the stories about the Cerulean Caves. About how dangerous they were, that they were filled with some of the most powerful Pokemon in the entire region and that anyone just caught sneaking in without permission was subjected to a massive fine for their own safety.

Her heart raced, not even wanting to think about the possibilities of why Giselle in her current state was running towards those sea caves. She hoped, she desperately hoped it was just to throw herself at the most powerful pokemon she found in an attempt to train Cubone hard against wild Pokemon.

She really hoped it was just that. 

She didn’t even want to think about the other possibility.

—--

“Giselle?” Ashley said, landing Raevyn in the grasslands outside the caves and recalling her. “Wait up, I just want to talk!”

“Or to gloat, more like!” Giselle snapped back at her. “Éloigne-toi de moi, espèce de paysan!”

“I have no idea what that means, but it was probably very rude!” Ashley said. “Look, all I want to do is just to talk! I’m not here to gloat! It’s completely unladylike! Look, if you just slow down…”

Giselle raced into the cavern and Ashley followed after her. It felt like this time she was actually going looking for trouble instead of it finding her.

“...Right, I am never telling Mom or Professor Oak about this one,” she muttered to herself, as she let Hope out of her bag. “Alright little buddy, let’s just be careful here… If you see Giselle, I don’t care if she complains, stun her with your Thunder Shock!”

“Pika?”

“Yes, I said use your Thunder Shock on her,” Ashley said as she hurried after the other girl. “You’re actually allowed to shock someone, for once. It’s for her own good! Now let’s just hope that…”

She heard a scream from up ahead and Ashley sighed.

“...she doesn’t run into anything, come on Hope we gotta hurry!”

Ashley’s heart raced, pounding against her chest having no idea what Giselle could have possibly run into in here. Nor did she actually want to know, though she knew she’d find out anyways.

“...it’s gotta be a Gyarados, it’s going to be a Gyarados, 9/10 out of the time when a trainer runs into a dangerous wild Pokemon in here, it’s a Gyarados,” Ashley said to herself as she rounded a corner and saw Giselle. “...and it’s not a Gyarados, and actually I don’t know what that is.”

What ‘that’ was, was a massive fish lunging out of the water with jaws open wide.

“...well, if it’s a fish, it’s probably a water type. Hope, Thunder Shock!” Ashley said and a jagged lightning bolt flew from her to the massive fish.

Ashley’s eyes widened in shock, pulling back Giselle as the electric attack seemed to barely do anything.

“But it’s a water type, it should have…” Giselle stammered out. “Quoi, ça devrait être super efficace!”

Ashley, as the massive fish went in for an attack, didn't even have time to go for Dexter to scan it and even find out what it was. Mind, she recognized the distinct glow of the tail.

“And now we’re leaving,” Ashley said as the tail came down drenching them with water. “That was Aqua Tail!”

And then a wave of mud knocked both of them off their feet, Ashley seeing the massive fish practically surfing atop the Muddy Water.

“Hope!” Ashley cried desperately. “Please, if you’re ever going to master your Thunderbolt, do it now!”

“Pika…” Hope said as she began to charge up power, glowing with a golden aura and let out a cry of: “Pikkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkaaaaaaaaaaccccccccccchhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”

The resulting attack brought the cave roof crashing down atop the fish. Ashley’s eyes widened as she saw the ‘fish’ break apart and reveal itself to actually be a bunch of smaller fish combined together as a school.

“Froussardine…” Giselle whispered, in surprise.

“Huh?”

“Wishiwashi, in Kantonese,” Giselle clarified. “They’re known as the Demon of the Seas, they might look small but when they swim together… well you saw for yourself. Even Léviator… sorry, even Gyarados run from a full school like that one.”

She sighed, and hugged Ashley tight.

“Thank you for saving me, I can’t believe I was such a fool to think that… well, I wanted to see if my loss was just that, a fluke and that I was still strong and I wanted to have Yorick go against something really strong.”

“So you chose Cerulean Cave?” Ashley said, her voice rising in anger. “Pardon my language, but WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?”

Giselle flinched backwards.

“Right, sorry, but beginner trainers are banned from this cave for a reason. People have died here due to the really strong Pokemon! Yorick wouldn’t have even stood a chance! You could have gotten him killed, and killed yourself in the process as well!” Ashley scolded her.

“I… you’re right, I didn’t think. I was so mad and so confused, I wasn’t thinking…” Giselle said, holding onto her tightly. “What you said before… about my parents being overcharged for Pokemon Tech… You’re absolutely right, it seems I learned nothing. I can’t believe my family got scammed by that… by that trou de merde! We’re idiots! Imbeciles!” 

Helping her out of the cave, Ashley led her back towards civilization.

“...Suppose you’re going to gloat now, about how much of an imbecile I am. It’s okay, I deserve it,” Giselle said. “Merde, I can’t believe I just did that… I can’t even look my mama and my papa in the eye right now…”

“Why would I gloat?” Ashley asked, honestly confused.

“Because you ended up being proven right? I mean… that’s what I’d do?”

“...I mean, I probably would have a few days ago, but right now gloating makes me feel just like Gary. Yuck!” Ashley shuddered.

“Qui est ce Gary?”

“My rival,” Ashley said, having a good guess of the question. “Well, sorta I suppose? I think pain in my ass is a better way of describing him. He’s…”

“Rich, arrogant, snotty?” Giselle said, rather self-deprecating. “I think I know the type…”

“No trust me, he’s way worse.”

Giselle winced.

“...glad I didn’t meet him instead of you, I don’t think I would have learned anything. …sigh, I’m going to have to call my parents and tell them that Pokemon Tech is utterly fucking useless. Gaaaaaah, that man who sold us on the school… Je n'arrive pas à croire que ce connard nous a arnaqués tous les trois, j'ai envie de frapper quelqu'un! A savoir lui!”

Ashley was rubbing her back, soothingly as Giselle continued to rant, switching over to Kantonese.

“He sold us on his shitty narrative, saying I’d learn everything and yet I learned nothing! I wanna burn that whole place down! Vive la Révolution étudiante!”

“...I’m pretty sure arson would get you arrested,” Ashley deadpanned.

“...it’s still tempting!” Giselle said before sighing. “...the damn place and its mouthpiece said the simulations would be completely true to life.”

“Simulations are computer models, they’re not really… oh what’s the word I’m looking for here?” Ashley said, taking off her cap and rubbing her hand through her hair.

“Infallible?” Giselle offered. “Perfect?”

“Yeah, that!” Ashley said. “They simulate a perfect Pokemon match, in a controlled environment and life… it isn’t like that?”

“So I’ve gathered,” Giselle said, rather bitterly before she sighed. “Arceus, I owe that kid Joe so many apologies, when it’s clear I knew less than him!”

She pulled her legs close, looking smaller than she really was.

“...I should go back to Kalos, get some real life experience, before I come in and claim I can beat any of the trainers here. If you’re an average representative of the Kanto pokemon trainer, you guys are monsters!”

Ashley politely decided against letting her know that Moltenpaw was actually pretty young for a Pokemon.

“You want to know how I beat Misty?” Ashley asked. “It wasn’t easy, and she kicked my ass the first time. Like… I got cocky and thought I could sweep her team with just Hope. Boy, she taught me a lesson. I worked my ass off to perfect a strategy for the rematch and even then I got lucky. Point being, never be sure about your victory.”

“I guess not.”

“Hey, don’t go spreading this around, but Misty… She's up for an Elite 4 position. Apparently Agatha’s retiring.”

“Vraiment? Putain de merde. And you still beat her? …no way I had a chance to beat you…” Giselle said and Ashley swore the other girl was blushing and she swore Giselle was squeezing her hand a little tighter.

“Just saying, don’t take your supposed badge level as an indicator of how skilled you are,” Ashley said. “Honestly, I’d try traveling around Kanto anyways, see the real region instead of just having your nose in a book.”

“You know…” Giselle smiled, a honest happy smile instead of an arrogant one. “I think I will. Thanks… you know I never got your name actually.”

“Ashley, Ashley Leaf Ketchum. Future champion in the making!”

“Well, Ms. Ketchum,” Giselle said, holding out her hand. “You’d better be careful, before I steal that spot from you. From now on, you’re my rival!”

“Hehe, challenge accepted!” Ashley said, shaking it.

—--

“You’re back!” Brock said, looking relieved. “I was just about to call Officer Jenny to send a search party.”

“Yeah, Ashley… she saved my life, taught me a few things,” Giselle said, kissing Ashley’s cheek. “I’ll forever be in her debt for putting me straight, putting my life on the proper path to the Pokemon League. Forget textbooks and simulations, no I’m going to get there honestly!”

“That’s the spirit, I’ll look forward to seeing you there and I’ll look forwards to challenging you when you get to Celadon,” Erika said with a curtsy.

“...you know, I don’t think I thanked you properly, Ashley,” Giselle said, with a sneaky smile before grabbing Ashley by her tank top and kissing her passionately. “I am from Kalos after all! We perfected the art of the kiss! There we go, that’s better!”

With that, she sauntered off, humming an old Kalos tune to herself.

“Ashley?” Brock said, waving a hand in front of her face. Ashley’s entire face was Razz berry red. “...Uh, Ashley? You still there? You still with us?”

Erika just laughed into her fan, Ashley completely broken for the time being.

—--

Ashley was still barely functioning even as they caught up to Giselle.

“Storm’s coming, and it looks like a big one,” Brock noted, as dark clouds rolled in. “We’d better find shelter soon.”

“WHAT THE HELL?”

The group raced, hearing Giselle’s shout and Ashley’s eyes widened as her brain rebooted seeing a Charmander on a rock…

And his tail flame was flickering weakly, and thunder rumbled in the distance…

Chapter Text

Ashley sighed to herself, looking at the graying skies and snorting: “...yeah, thanks, that’s fair. I feel the same way, world…”

Thunder rumbled in the distance, the herald of an oncoming storm. Drawing her jacket closer to herself, she felt a cool breeze blowing as tree branches gently swayed in the wind.

“Pika?” her Pikachu chirped, poking her head out of her bag.

“...sorry, just kinda lost in thought, it’s been… well, it’s been a lot recently,” Ashley sighed and her starter let out another little squeak. “No, Giselle had nothing to do with it, yes she’s… very pretty and yes she kissed me and yes I liked it but… I don’t know why I liked it.”

“Pika…” her starter said, giving a little sigh.

“She was just thanking me, that’s all, for saving her life!”

Hope raised an eyebrow, looking like she didn’t believe her trainer at all. Shaking her head, the electric mouse let out another little squeak at another rumble of thunder.

“Yeah, I bet you like that, don’t you?” Ashley said. “Storm’s going to get you all charged up! We should use it for some serious training, master your Thunderbolt for the next gym!”

“Stand outside, in the cold rain, and in a lightning storm?” Giselle said, wearing a see-through rain slicker and pulling the hood up over her head and more importantly her hair. “Je maintiens ce que j'ai dit auparavant. Je le répète, même. You Kanto trainers are something else.”

“Nope, not even we’re that insane,” Erika said. “Ashley’s just like that, Ashley’s just Ashley.”

“...yeah, that pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it?” Giselle giggled. “Ashley is Ashley.”

“And Ashley will not be staying out in this storm, it sounds like a big one,” Brock said. “If she doesn’t get struck by lightning-”

“Hope will absorb it, she’s like a living lightning rod! We’ll be fine!”

“-then she’ll catch a cold, get pneumonia and die. So how does that sound, dying in a rainstorm. Does that sound like how the World’s Greatest Pokemon Trainer wants to die?” Brock said, sternly and Ashley swallowed.

“...fair point, it’s not even a cool death like getting blasted by an angry Zapdos!”

Ashley missed the look of concern that passed between Brock and Erika.

Another rumble of thunder and Ashley chuckled as she rubbed her Pikachu’s forehead with her heart-shaped tail perking up at the show of affection.

“This brings back memories, doesn’t it, little buddy?” Ashley chuckled.

“Chaaaaaa!”

“Man, talk about good memories!”

“You know, most trainers wouldn’t call getting nearly pecked to death on their first day as a trainer by an angry Spearow flock ‘good memories’,” Erika said.

“Excusez-moi? Est-ce que je t'ai bien entendu?” Giselle blinked.

“I mean, yeah, nearly dying embarrassingly like that, it kinda sucked but it helped me and Hope become best buddies and I met Clint and I met you Erika and you helped me find myself so it all evens out right?” Ashley said, with a shrug before hugging her sister tightly.

“...I suppose it does,” Erika mused aloud, with a fond smile, ruffling her little sister’s hair.

Giselle looked up at the darkening skies, and frowned. “I should be on a beach, on the Muraille Coast, in a bikini and attracting attention from all of the cute girls under the summer sun and instead I’m here, about to be drenched.”

“Well, if we can make it to the next Pokemon center before the storm breaks,” Brock said, reading the map. “We should be just fine, it’s just up the road a little ways from here. If this map is accurate, we’re on route 24, just a few miles out of Vermillion City.”

“Alright!” Ashley said, punching the air. “Fresh off her victory from defeating the undefeatable Battling Mermaid, Misty, Ashley Ketchum journeys to claim her next gym badge in an electric shock showdown with the Lightning Unovan, the striking Lieutenant Surge!”

“There she goes again,” Erika said, giggling in fond amusement. “And she’s even narrating this time. She’s a truly adorable little sister of mine, even if she is a little too cocky for her own good.”

“Let her ride her high a little, two badges in under two weeks is an accomplishment,” Brock said.

“I’m just worried she hasn’t entirely learned her lesson, and she’s getting cocky again and slacking off her training again,” Erika said. “I know, I should have more faith in my little sister/student, but I worry about her as well.”

“It’s only natural, that’s what being an older sibling is like,” Brock said, patting Erika on the shoulder as she slightly glared at him, the older teen clearly speaking from experience. “I should know, I’ve got 8 other little siblings to look after by this point.”

“...did your parents just decide not to stop after a certain point?” Erika asked.

“...I to be honest, don’t know nor do I want to know,” Brock said. “...Well, they stopped eventually, given mom’s gone and… dad, well…”

“I would like to have words with your father when I see him next, not just as a fellow gym leader but as a human being,” Erika said as they walked. “Just because he’s picking up the slack now doesn’t excuse any of it, he shouldn’t have to pick up the slack at all. And your mom… where is she again? What hotel is she staying at? I have half a mind to call her the next time I have access to a phone.”

“Beats me, all I know is she’s in Alola but she hasn’t sent a letter in weeks,” Brock sighed. “For all I know, she’s cheating on dad with someone else. …though I don’t think you can really call it cheating when your marriage has practically disintegrated into dust.”

“If I’m allowed, can I just ask…?”

“What happened? Your guess is as good as mine, honestly, by this point. I don’t know why things turned out the way they did,” Brock said, sadly. “It’s just the way the dominos fell, one day they were in love and the next…”

“They weren’t?” Erika said, sadly. “If it helps, they were probably pretending they were still in love for your sake until they couldn’t anymore.”

“I just wish they were honest with me, that’s all I’d ask for,” Brock said. “It hurts more knowing they didn’t think they could trust me with that knowledge, because suddenly I’m trying to explain to my little siblings why mom and dad don’t love each other anymore and even I don’t know the reason.”

Erika fought back a growl and was probably going to speak her mind until a shout came from up ahead.

“WHAT THE HELL?”

Racing to catch up with Giselle, the three saw a Charmander, on a rock looking up at them and yawning.

“A Charmander!” Ashley said. “I mean, yeah I know what it is, but they’re supposed to be super rare in this part of Kanto. Their eggs, they’re supposed to be closely guarded by the Charicific Valley authorities aren’t they? So what’s one doing all the way out here?”

“I suppose it’s not impossible for a breeding pair to live out here…” Brock mused, kneeling down to the Charmander’s level. “Hey little guy, you don’t think you can’t tell us what happened to you, can you?”

“Can you even speak Charmander?” Giselle asked.

“After a while, Breeders have a certain knack for understanding Pokemon. Maybe not being able to understand them 100%, not in the way you’d think, but it’s a learned little trick we pick up. And I dunno about this one Ashley, this one looks like it’s in bad shape. That flame on its tail, with a fire Pokemon you can usually tell its condition by how hot its flames are. And this little one…”

Ashley sucked in a breath, looking at the Charmander’s tail flame and then up at the clouds. “...and a storm’s closing in fast, we should get it to a Pokemon Center. Should I… no, it’s in no shape to battle.”

Thunder rumbled ominously in the clouds above.

“They say with storms like this, Zapdos himself rides the winds and supercharges the thunderclouds with his power,” Giselle said. “This storm, it looks like a big one and I, in good conscience, can’t leave this little guy out here all alone.”

Pulling out a spare pokeball, she enlarged it and threw it only for nothing to happen.

“Nothing?” Giselle said, shocked. “It wasn’t even sucked in? But the only way that could happen is if…”

Her rage started to build, the lass looking even angrier than the clouds above them.

“...No way, you’re not saying that…” Ashley said, her eyes widening in horror. “No, it can’t be.”

“I’m afraid it is,” Brock said as Erika hugged her sister close to comfort her. “Someone, they left this Charmander here to die. I don’t know who, but when I find out, I’ll make sure they’re not even allowed around a Caterpie.”

“Char…” the Charmander said, weakly. 

“Floette,” Giselle said, pulling out a pokeball and just barely managing to keep her voice even as it trembled in rising rage. “Use Heal Bell!”

A small little pixie, holding onto a flower appeared and rang a small bell, the soothing chime seemingly managing to heal some of the Charmander’s wounds.

“Ashley, can you have Moltenpaw summon a Sunny Day?” Giselle asked as she sucked in a breath, looking back up at the thick and heavy skies. “If it starts raining now…”

“No, he’s still too young to really affect the weather like that and well, you’ve met him. He’ll go right back into his ball as soon as he realizes it’s about to rain,” Ashley said, and Giselle winced realizing how true that was. “No, we’re going to have to run, and run fast.”

Grabbing Charmander, Ashley let out a howl of pain even as the little lizard bit down into her arm.

“This is for your own good, bud,” Ashley said, fighting through the pain even as Charmander slashed at her face with a claw. “Like… I’m not going to just leave you here. I refuse to abandon you! I’m not like that, I’m going to be the world’s greatest Pokemon trainer one day, a Pokemon master and I refuse to abandon a hurt Pokemon. I refuse to abandon you okay?”

“Chaaarrrr!” the Charmander said, throwing a blast of flame into her face and leaving it covered in soot and ash. 

“I understand, you’re loyal to your trainer, but he left you here to die. I’m not stealing you from him, I’m saving you! I’m saving your life!” Ashley said, even as she held onto the lizard tightly. “Whoever your trainer is, he isn’t worth shit!”

“Char!” and the Charmander clearly didn’t like that remark, slashing at her face again.

“Boy, you’ve still got a lot of fight left in you. That’s good, that’s fantastic!” Ashley praised. “You’re a fighter, and you won’t die easily! Good, we should be able to get you to Doctor Joy and let her save you, the more you refuse to die. Just, please… let us help you okay?”

“Ashley!” Erika shouted in alarm as the Charmander headbutted her. “Rafflesia, I need your help now! Use your Sleep Powder, help Ashley!”

The stinky flower appeared, Giselle covering her nose from the stench even as Gloom scattered a glowing orange mist over the Charmander. 

Charmander fought it at first, but his movements slowed even as he tried to blast off another fire attack at Gloom. His eyes closed and he relaxed in Ashley’s arms, the girl holding the orange lizard close.

“It’s alright, shhhhh,” Ashley said, soothingly running her hand through the lizard’s scales. “It’s alright, you’re safe now. I’m not going to let anyone harm you ever again, and when I find your trainer… He’s going to be sorry. I’m sorry too, that he didn’t see the value in you and he’s an idiot and I’m sorry that he is.”

“She’s good,” Giselle said, a rising blush climbing over her face. “...she’s, yeah, she’ll be a Pokemon Master one day…”

—--

Lightning flashed outside the Pokemon center, just as Ashley let out a yell of: “Doctor Joy!”

As soon as Heather Joy saw the Charmander in her hands, she rose up out of her seat. 

“Audino, get this Charmander to an emergency room, on the double!” she said, and then looked at Ashley, her eyes narrowed as the rain poured outside. “Explain, now.”

“Oh I’ll explain what happened,” Giselle said, a fire in her eyes. “Some bâtard left that Charmander on a rock to die! If we hadn’t come along to save it, it would be dead right about now!”

Heather’s eyes widened in horror as she fought back a curse.

“I wonder if…” she mused before saying: “All of you stay right here, don’t worry, if that Charmander survived this long by itself, then it’s a fighter so there’s still a chance for life. And where there’s life, there’s hope.”

“No, I’m coming with you,” Ashley said, shaking her head and gently handing Charmander off to the Audino at Joy’s side. “Charmander… he needs me, his previous trainer let him down, left him. I won’t do that, I’m staying by his side.”

“If only all Pokemon trainers cared as much as you…” the doctor said, wearily. “Alright, you can come with me, and Charmander. The rest of you, stay outside. I can’t have a crowd, we need room to work. I need room to save this poor Pokemon’s life. What’s your name again?”

“Ashley, Ashley Ketchum.”

“No wonder,” Heather said. “I’ve been hearing from my cousins all about you, yeah this Charmander’s lucky. You should be his trainer, if you’re asking me. Not… Well, I hope I’m wrong about who abandoned him.”

“Tell me his name,” Giselle hissed out. “Give me his name, and I’ll make sure the bâtard regrets this.”

“No, this is a hospital. This isn’t a place for starting fights even I suspect that Damien brat did this,” Heather replied. “Please, remember that.”

Giselle nodded, though she didn’t look happy about it.

“...fine, though the moment I get a chance to battle that ‘trainer’ on the road when this storm breaks, I’m going to absolutely wreck him and send him home crying.”

She looked at the Charmander, being wheeled into the ER.

“Stay strong little guy… please. For us. We believe in you…”

—--

“...you know,” Ashley said as she looked at the Charmander, breathing through a mask on a heated blanket. “I always wanted a Charmander one day and I thought I could get one from Oak if someone had already taken Bulbasaur. I didn’t end up getting either and I got Hope instead and I’m hardly complaining as she’s my best friend but… You know, Charizard, he’s one of my favorite Pokemon of all time.”

She smiled weakly.

“All because of one man. No, it’s not Lance, as you’d think. Yeah, he’s got a Charizard, but he’s not who I’m talking about. Lance is cool, he’s awesome even, but he’s not the coolest person in the world for me. No, that’s actually my cousin. He has a Charizard, one of the strongest in the world and he wants to be a champion one day too. If he does, I want to challenge him and see which of the Ketchums is the strongest. Dude’s awesome, he’s currently on a training trip but man… you should see his Charizard. I want to raise a Charmander… I want to raise you to be even stronger than him.”

Ashley chuckled.

“I don’t even know if you can hear me, but I hope you can. Like… I want you to keep fighting, you’ve got people who care about you, y’know. Me… Giselle… Listen, I’m sorry if your previous trainer didn’t care shit about you, screw him. Not all people are like him, even Gary as much of an asshole as he is, cares about his Pokemon.”

Ashley’s eyes watered.

“...sometimes, I wonder if I’ll ever catch up to Gary, he always seems to be one step ahead of me, and like… he’s Professor Oak’s grandson, how the hell am I supposed to measure up to that? If anyone’s going to be Kanto’s new champion… yeah, it’s probably him. I don’t even have a chance…”

She looked back at the Charmander, letting the tears fall.

“Still, I… I want to raise you, I want you to be my Pokemon, my partner, you deserve that even if I’m not the world’s greatest trainer. You deserve someone who cares, I’m sorry if I might never be able to raise you to be the strongest but… I want you to live, I want you to be strong and show your former trainer how powerful you can really be.”

She smiled weakly.

“So for me… please live.”

-----

Outside, in the waiting room, Ashley’s friends listened to the rain pour outside. It was almost like the sky itself was crying because of what had been done to that Charmander.

Then they heard something else.

Laughter, mean laughter from uncaring trainers.

“Sure got a lot of 'em,” one trainer said, amongst a group. “Like, you’re trying to catch ‘em all right?”

“That’s quite a collection!” another of the group added.

Erika and Brock shared a look, with Brock groaning. “I hate trainers like that, collecting pokemon for the sake of collecting them. Just catching them all as bragging rights, they don’t even care about the Pokemon they’re supposed to be raising.”

“For sure!” another trainer said, his eyes wide at the pokeballs spilling out off the table. “Like that’s way cool, Damien my dude!”

“...hold on a second…” Brock said as he remembered something. “I battled a guy named Damien, and he had a Charmander. You don’t think…”

“Please no,” Giselle whispered in horror before her voice hardened. “Well if the boot fits… After all, how many trainers in Kanto with Charmanders could there actually be?”

“You're the man, Damian!” 

And then another trainer of his little gang confirmed their worst fears.

“Hey mate, didn’t you have a Charmander too? Man, what the hell happened to it?”

“Yeah, I had one. But that puny thing was so weak,” the leader of the group, with a clearly fake Galarian accent said with a cowboy hat on his head. “Man, it wasn’t worth keeping around. It was bloody useless, it was!”

“So what’d you do with it?”

“Left it on a rock, it’s probably still waiting there thinking I’ll come back to it! Man, those dragons and their loyalty huh? Too bad it’s too damn clueless to take a hint that I didn’t want it around, and I didn’t need it around!”

Giselle rose up from her seat and it was telling that neither Brock nor Erika forced her back down to stop her.

“EXCUSE ME?” she said with a venomous snarl in her voice as she raised a hand to slap Damien across the face.

“The hell was that for, you bint?”

“That Charmander, he was waiting for you on that rock, and if we hadn’t found him he would have died in the rain. Don’t you even care about your Pokemon?”

“I can get another!”

And for that, Damien got a busted nose.

“Your Charmander… no, he’s not yours, he’s Ashley’s, he’s in the emergency room fighting for his life because of you! Don’t you have any shame or any empathy at all?” Giselle snapped as Damien lay flat at her feet. 

“That thing was so stupid! No matter what I did to it, it kept on following me around! It couldn’t get the hint! I finally got rid of it by promising I'd come back for it. It fell for it, hook line and sucker,” Damien said, managing to dig his already six foot hole even deeper. “Like, who needs a pokemon like that? It lost every battle I sent it in! I had to get rid of it!”

“Only because you didn’t bother to care for it, you didn’t train it because it's just another ‘mon in your collection right?” Giselle said, with a hiss. “Gotta catch ‘em all, that’s your attitude right? Pokemon… they’re not just things for you to collect, they’re not just little dolls you can stick in a glass case for display. They’re living things, with thoughts and feelings of their own and I’m sorry you’re too STUPID to realize that and I’m disgusted you ever became a trainer because you make the rest of us look bad! The only ones I feel sorry for in this bunch of yours are your Pokemon, you fils de pute qui ne valent rien! Now GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! Throw yourselves into the storm and then maybe you’ll all appreciate how Charmander would have felt! Go on, I’ll lock the Center doors behind you!”

“Why you…” Damien said as he rose up and started grabbing Pokeballs one at a time with his friends following. “So what, are you going to take us all on, you little cu-”

“I’ll kindly ask you not to finish that sentence, and if I have to, I will!” Giselle said as she went for Yorick’s ball. “You’re all disgraceful, disgusting and despicable! I’ll bet one of my Pokemon is worth a hundred of yours!”

“That’s enough, out of all of you,” said a voice as an Officer Jenny walked in, soaked to the bone with an equally displeased Persian by her side. “Heather called me, call me Kim. There’s no need to show these idiots that they’re not proper trainers who don’t care about their Pokemon, their actions speak for themselves really.”

She cuffed Damien, with the rest of his gang soon to follow.

“You’re under arrest for Pokemon abuse and abandonment and I’ve got half a mind to charge you Damien for utterly butchering that accent. It’s the worst Galarian accent I’ve ever heard. As soon as this storm lets up, you’re all coming with me down to the station. For now, just sit down and stay there. I’m in agreement with this young lass here, the only ones I feel sorry for out of all of you are your Pokemon for having such terrible trainers.”

“I just hope none of them are as badly off as Charmander was…” Brock said, worriedly. 

“Well, we’ll soon find out, won’t we…” the police officer said, glaring at Damien’s group leaving their fates without little doubt.

—--

Ashley sat down next to Charmander, rubbing his back soothingly and letting her Aura rush through her. It felt like she’d released a block on a dam, holding the waters of a river back.

“...yeah, you and I, we’re not so different are we?” Ashley said. “We’re honestly, well we’re honestly two of a kind aren’t we?”

She let herself remember, even as painful as it was.

“Ashy, seriously don’t tell me you’re going to become a trainer if you don’t know a single thing about Pokemon! You can’t even name all 18 types!” Gary mocked.

“Sure I can!” Ashley said, in defiance. “There’s fire, grass, water, electric, rock…”

“Good job, you can name the basics! What about the sub types?”

“Platinum, psychic, black…” Ashley said, counting them off her fingers.

“See, what’d I tell you?” Gary mocked. “There’s no way you’re going to make it as a trainer, those two types don’t even exist! They’re called Steel and Dark, you moron! Get lost, Ashy, I can’t be seen around such a useless idiot like you! How you’re her daughter, I don’t have any clue!”

So she couldn’t name all of the Pokemon types back then! Big deal, she was just a kid! How the hell was she supposed to remember everything?

She wished it’d stopped there though, that Gary would go back to his old self again. She just wanted his friendship, that’s all she’d asked for! She wanted to be a Pokemon Master with him! She wanted to reach the top together, by his side! They could even be co-champions! Just like Wallace and Steven!

“What are you even doing, following me around?” Gary said, the two now ten years old and it’d been like this for several years now. “Get lost Ashy, I told you that I couldn’t be seen with such a useless idiot! Look, I get it, you want to be a Pokemon trainer but there’s no way someone like you even has a chance of doing it! You’ll never even get past the first gym! Face it, not every trainer even makes it to the top and you’re not even going to make it to the bottom rung!”

“But!”

“Are you deaf or something? I said get out of my way!”

“As soon as we get our first Pokemon, as soon as I get my Bulbasaur… we’ll battle! Then you can put your money where your mouth is!”

“Ha, of course you’d choose that weak little toad.”

“Bulbasaur’s a strong starter!”

“It is, and my Squirtle will crush that weak little toad you end up getting! I don’t care if you want to be like your cousin, you’re still the child of someone who couldn’t even make it as a trainer! A failure raising a failure!”

“Don’t you dare say that about my mom!”

“I’m only telling the truth! She didn’t get to the Indigo Plateau, she didn’t get to the Champion so I don’t see why you think you’ll ever be a Champion with her as your example!”

Ashley wiped her tears away, as she tried not to let the pain overwhelm her. She was used to Gary’s insults, ever since his ego inflated like that. All the same, why did he have to go after her mom like that? Her mom wasn’t a failure, she’d gotten far and the only reason she had to give it up was to run her family’s restaurant.

Her dad, that asshole, he’d walked out on his whole family and left her mom to raise her alone! He was the reason she could never be Champion, because he couldn’t think about anyone for himself for five seconds! He left his mom, he made her leave her dreams!

Sometimes she wondered if she was a burden on her mother, that if maybe if she wasn’t around then maybe her mom would have time to be the trainer she’d always wanted to be.

It seemed about right, didn’t it? That if her mom didn’t have to worry about her, then she could go off and challenge Lance and take his title! Her Pokemon, they were powerful and they deserved better than working in a restaurant for the rest of their lives.

They were battlers once, they should be doing that! Her mom, she should be sitting on the Champion’s throne, not Lance! Her mom, she should be the Pride of Pallet!

Instead… She sat in a small town, lived and worked in a small town and was probably going to die in that small town. Her life never moving, never changing, like she was just stuck in this loop she’d never break out of all because of her worthless ex-husband.

Her mom deserved better, certainly better than a girl who probably had no chance of reaching that throne as long as Gary continued getting better and better. What chance at all did she ever even have against the grandson of The Professor Oak?

It was just simple genetics after all, Oak was a powerful trainer in his day and his grandson would be even more powerful with everything he’d learned from his grandpa.

“Tomorrow, it all changes,” Gary had said. “Tomorrow, we get our starters and then tomorrow I’ll show you just what a difference there is between the two of us. I’m Gary Oak, what’s your name again?”

And she’d slept in late, and started late and nearly gotten herself killed on her first day as a trainer. Maybe that’s why she wasn’t afraid to die, because she felt she was living more days than she was honestly meant to. Those Spearow should have killed her, so why was she even here now?

She’d cheated death, and she was living days that weren’t hers.

“Char…” said a small voice, as the Charmander stirred. The flame on his tail looked better, burning with a good-sized flame. “Char, Char, Charmander!”

“...you believe in me?” Ashley asked, in shock. “Is that it? …wow, you’re one of the few people who do…”

“Char!” the little lizard said and Ashley saw through his eyes. 

In his mind, Charmander grew and changed and grew larger and larger towering over her and burnt with a brilliant tail-flame.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise,” Dianthia, the Dianthia said from behind her Mega Gardevoir. “Alright, now things are getting interesting.”

“Yeah,” Ashley said, older and more beautiful, touching her Mega Ring before tossing her hat skywards. “Charizard, let’s have a Ketchum time!”

“Graaaaaarooooarrr!” her Charizard, her Charizard said as his horns grew bigger and his fangs sharper, little wings sprouting out from his arms. He raised his head to the sky, and a tower of fire erupted from his mouth.

“Moonblast!” Dianthia said as the crowd roared in delight.

“FIIIIIIIIREEEEEE BLAST!” Ashley said, and the two attacks collided…

Then, Ashley was back in the hospital room with her Charmander holding onto her chest tightly. And when she looked into his eyes, she saw nothing but adoration and devotion in them.

“I’m sorry, you’re right… I should give myself more of a chance, thanks for believing in me little guy even when I don’t believe in myself. Maybe… maybe I should more often. That vision… that dream we shared, let’s see if we can make it a reality huh?”

—--

“So…” Ashley said that next morning, Charmander by her side looking happier and healthier. “What’d I miss?”

“Damien and his whole crew have been arrested, I don’t think they’ll ever hold Pokeballs ever again,” Brock said.

“Awwwwww, I missed it?” Ashley whined. “Damn! I was hoping I’d get to see Giselle punch him!”

Charmander looked equally disappointed.

“You missed me biting him too,” Giselle said. “Erika said you’d rubbed off on me, whatever that meant.”

Ashley snorted. “You bit him?”

“He tried to Tackle me after Officer Jenny cuffed him, I used Bite as my counter-attack. It was super effective! Anyways, suspecting you’ll be needing one of these?”

She tossed a spare Love Ball to Ashley, who looked at Charmander.

“Whaddya say? Wanna come along, and see that dream come to reality? We shared a vision, it’s got to be our future right?”

“Vision?” Erika asked. “What vision?”

“The one with us beating Diantha, the one with us as the shining stars of the Pokemon world.”

“That seems like a good vision,” Erika said. “I can’t wait to see it come true.”

“Yeah! And I’ll need your help to do it. I think Tadashi works as a good name for you, you’re a loyal little guy after all,” Ashley said, looking at Charmander. Her Charmander. “So, wanna come along for the ride?”

“Char!” Charmander said, and a new chapter in Ashley’s life began…

Chapter Text

“The Port of Exquisite Sunsets,” the sign read, and Ashley sighed as she entered the town via an old stonework bridge. Gentle waves lapped at the bridge, fishing boats returning to the harbor as the afternoon sun rose high into the sky.

“Finally, another city,” Ashley said, stretching. “I smell, like I reek!”

“You know,” Giselle said, teasingly. “Some girls are into that sweaty, dirty smell. They think it’s attractive, seeing fit girls having worked up a sweat and putting in actual effort to their training.”

“Y-Yeah?” Ashley stammered out, as Giselle walked in front of her and wrapped her arms around her with a teasing flirty smile. “You think so?”

She thought she heard a chuckle from Erika, but when Ashley looked back at her adoptive sister the grass-type user was her usual portrait of serene grace.

“I honestly hate girls who put way too much effort into their appearance, all perfume and make up and-”

“Didn’t you used to be one of those girls?” Ashley teased the Kalos native.

“I know, and I hate it. Nobody cares if you look pretty, well some people care but those people are just idiots. You’re not always up on a stage, you’re there to prove your worth as a trainer!”

“Well, Pokemon contests are a thing…” Brock said, as a reminder.

“I know, but like… getting dressed up all pretty, that’s not me anymore,” Giselle said. “I know better now. I’m a Pokemon trainer, first and foremost. If I slack off, just to pamper myself, I’m insulting my Pokemons’ pride by not paying them the proper attention.”

“Wow, you’ve really grown up,” Brock said, approvingly.

“Well, having the wind knocked out of you by a little puppy barely out of his shell tends to do that,” Giselle snorted. “Alas, if I hadn’t been given a good reality check, who knows what kind of person I’d have turned out to be.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I like the new you,” Ashley said, giving her a winning smile and Giselle went bright red. She swore she saw steam coming out of her ears

“Pi-pi-pika!” Hope said, clearly laughing.

As the quartet entered the city, the first thing they noticed was how loud the city was. There were lots of people everywhere, some yelling on phones, others just snapping pictures. The… let’s say unique combination of the salty ocean sea mixed in with all the exhaust fumes created quite the fragrance.

“Tourist town?” Giselle mouthed.

“Yep,” Brock mouthed back. “Probably the biggest in Kanto outside Cinnabar Island. And it’s the middle of summer so…”

Giselle sighed to herself and made a groan of irritation.

Erika wasn’t far behind, saying: “This is why I try to avoid this place, I’ve never liked it. It’s always so loud, and the tourists… Oh good grief. The tourists are everywhere, and they’re always so rude. See, look right there. Littering! They can’t even bother to find a proper trash can,” she said, and motioned to some discarded fast food as the group kept walking.

Hope was clutching her ears, holding them down. She let out a little whine of: “Piiikkkkaaaa…”

Ashley nodded. “I know bud, don’t worry, we’ll be here for our gym battle with Lieutenant Surge and then we’ll be gone. We don’t have to spend any longer here than we have to and- Ooof, sorry!”

Ashley as she walked, accidentally bumped into a man checking the stocks on his Rotom phone.

“Uh… sorry?” she laughed nervously as the phone clattered to the ground, sparking with little blue bolts of electricity.

“WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING YOU LITTLE BITCH go sell yourself on some other street corner for Arceus’ sake!” the man snapped, with a thick Unovan accent.

Giselle was fuming, her hand drawn back to slap the man and was getting ready to give this rude jackass a piece of her mind. Erika however, gracefully grabbed the man by the arm gently but firmly.

“Care to repeat that, sir?”

The man looked the gym leader dead in the eye, saying: “What? I don’t want to screw your street hooker now go away! Proposition someone else, you bit-”

Erika squeezed just that little bit harder.

“Oh I won't take much of your time. I just wanted to say I do not appreciate you shouting at my little sister and insinuating she’s selling herself out at 14. I think you need to learn some manners, that’s all.”

“Screw you! I was walking here, and she bumped into me, and made me drop my phone! I just bought this thing, and that little bitch destroyed it.”

“It seems to be your fault, if you couldn’t keep hold of your very expensive phone,” Erika said. “Now, I can forget this ever happened, or I could sue you for sexual harassment and given what you’ve also said, I could probably sue you for attempted pedophilia as well. I don’t like abusing my status but you sir, are a disgrace.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“Just a concerned older sister, that’s all. Careful, even the prettiest flowers have thorns,” Erika said. “Careful not to prick yourself. Now, what’ll it be?”

“Fine, I have better things to do with my time! Expect me to bill you for a replacement phone!”

The man stormed off and Erika sighed.

“That’ll be hard to do, if I didn’t even give him my name. Some people in the world today. Men are just the worst, present company excluded,” she said looking at Brock and walking back towards Ashley who had been helped up by Giselle. “Pay that rude man no mind dear, now come I believe you have a gym battle to get to. Don’t worry,I know where it is, I've had to deliver some medicinal herbs to Surge a few times.”

Ashley nodded weakly, letting out a soft: “T-Thanks…”

Erika rubbed her hair, soothingly, letting her fingers flow through it.

“Hey, what that man said… it was all nonsense, none of it was true okay? I’ve met Unovans, as loud and as crude as they can sometimes be, they’re usually never this bad. That man from Casteila, Burgh… I rather enjoy his art pieces whenever they’re exhibited in the Saffron Museum.”

“You, complementing a man? Wow, you really are serious,” Ashley said. “That’s high praise, coming from you.”

“A proper lady knows when to swallow her pride, simply put.”

“It’s just… what the man said, me being a… A, well, y’know. Is that all I am? Some… some fetish object?”

“No, never say that about yourself, okay?” Erika said, kneeling down to her level and putting her hands on her shoulders. “Some people don’t know any better, and some people simply refuse to change for the better. You cannot fix the imbecilic.”

“It’s just… I want to be a girl, but I don’t want to be seen as… Well, that. Makes me feel a little sick inside, actually,” Ashley said. 

“You are a girl, dear,” Erika said, hugging her close. “Never tell yourself otherwise. There’s no one way to be feminine, apart from conducting yourself with manners and grace. Admittedly, it’ll be hard to teach you those things but I have confidence I’ll succeed one day. The important thing is, keep being you. That’s all that matters, and that’s all that should ever matter, okay?”

Ashley nodded weakly, though a part of her still felt that being herself wasn’t what Erika wanted. Erika expected more from her, more proper lady-like behavior that she didn’t even know how to imitate. Sometimes she wondered if she’d ever meet the gym leader’s sometimes impossibly high standards.

“...maybe fighting Surge will help me clear my mind,” she said. “Focus on winning his badge, instead of on that jerk.”

“That’s the spirit!” Giselle said. “Maybe we can both challenge him at once! Make it a double battle! Fighting alongside a friend, isn’t that what makes Pokemon battles fun?”

“Yeah, it does…” Ashley said, looking at Hope and never noticing how Giselle gently squeezed her hand.

—--

As the group arrived at the gym they found it resembled an oversized army surplus store. “The Lightning Unovan, huh? I’ll give him this he sure knows how to set up his gimmick and run with it.”

Brock gave a nod “Yeah, that’s Unova for you. They’re all about theatrics, you should see Burgh’s. His entire gym is a mix of a museum and a honeycomb. Lenora, the normal type gym leader, her gym doubles as a museum, last I heard you had to do a puzzle involving finding specific books.”

“Meanwhile, your gym is just one big rock,” Ashley teased.

“I train rock Pokemon, so my gym is a giant rock. I have a gimmick, and I’m sticking to it,” Brock said. “It’s working for me, okay?”

“Whatever you say,” Giselle teased. “Just keep telling yourself that, dude. Meanwhile Koga has a giant ninja mansion and Erika a whole flower garden.”

Brock hung his head, a cloud of despair over him.

“Hey nothing wrong with keeping it simple I loved your gym!” Ashley said proudly to her semi depressed friend, and then went towards the chain link fence surrounding the gym.

“...you think we’re supposed to climb it?”

“That might be,” Giselle mused. “Don’t you dare look up my skirt!”

“...why would I do that?” Ashley asked, cluelessly and Giselle facefaulted.

“...well, I suppose getting a good workout is a lot better than the last challenge Surge had set up for his gym challengers,” Brock said. “From what dad told me, it used to be finding hidden switches inside garbage cans to turn off an electric gate. He didn’t get too many challengers that way, not sure why.”

“...or maybe you just have to go through the gate?” Erika said, the others feeling really stupid for not thinking of it sooner.

“Hey what is this,” Ashley said, finding the gate locked. “...this is what I get for trying the simple solution!”

She started yanking on the gate, saying: “Let me in, I'm here to battle you, Surge! I’m the future World's Greatest Pokemon Master!” Ashley then starts biting the fence. “Let me in!”

Erika coughed gently, saying: “Or perhaps we could try reading the note?” she pointed at a note taped to the fence.

Hope facepawed at her idiot partner not noticing that.

“To all would be cadets seeking to challenge Lieutenant Surge, I regret to inform you that I’ve stepped out for a few weeks to attend a veterans retreat. Until my return, I expect you all to train hard. Both yourselves and your Pokemon and to make sure you do, I have a camera watching so after reading this DROP AND GIVE ME 20! Sincerely, Lieutenant Surge.” Ashley read off the note

Ashley stared, a tumbleweed rolling by in the breeze and then looks around noticing there was in fact a camera on a post watching them.

“...that was a joke, right?”

Giselle glanced at her. “It has to be he can't expect us to just start doing pushups outside his gym. We would look like… like we're insane or something.”

Brock shrugged. “I’ve heard Lieutenant  Surge is strict about training regiments, so…”

Eika shocked her head with a sympathetic smile. “Lieutenant Surge isn’t one to tell jokes and seeing as we are traveling with you he would expect us to do them as well.”

The foursome dropped down and start doing push ups. Erika was shockingly quick at them, saying: “A lady must be trained in both mind and body.”

Brock wasn’t far behind, clearly having put on some muscle himself. Indeed, he’d tossed off his shirt exposing his chiseled pecs and was doing them easily.

Hope with a shrug, decided she may as well go along as well so she started doing them too.

Ashley and Giselle however, were… struggling.

“Grlgorkon,” Giselle groaned, her Cubone appearing with a flash, tapping the ground with his bone in time with her. “10…..”

“This isn’t fair!” Ashley whined. “...7…”

“You really gonna let me surpass you, Ashley? I thought you were going to be the World’s Greatest Pokemon Master!” Giselle teased.

Suddenly Gale burst out of her Pokeball and leans on the ground feathers pointed forward, chattering out: “Geetoot geotto ghetto!”

She started doing them as well, to motivate her trainer. Finally the two young girls collapsed, with Ashley rolling onto her back and panting out: “...and that's 20...”

Suddenly a woman's voice spoke to them: “Not bad not bad, I’m sure my husband would approve, actually,” They all turned to see a member of the Joy clan dressed in casual clothing - a pink shirt with a cross between a cloud turtle and a snake on it, along with a skirt with red and black hearts- with a black and yellow sea bird perched on her shoulders. In her hands were grocery bags. 

“I’m guessing you are here to face my husband in a battle but saw his note. He’d be pleased to see you took it seriously, he’s always saying today’s trainers are too soft, calling them babies. By the way, as you might have guessed, I’m Carol Joy,” she said with a wave. “And this is my partner, Tawnia the Wattrel.”

“Watt… Wattrel!” the little bird crowed, saluting with her wing. 

“Wait a moment,” Carol said. “I remember you, yeah my second cousin mentioned you helped deal with a… let’s say a difficult trainer and expose his rather poor treatment of his Pokemon.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Giselle growled. “I really should have bitten him a little harder!”

“You drew blood, I’m not sure how you could have bitten him any harder…” Brock said.

“Not enough blood!” Giselle muttered.

A tiny voice was heard coming up, and Carol smiled fondly. 

“Hut hut hut hut,” a tiny Joy appeared, carrying a larger grocery bag and was marching up in time. She had a shaved head and was dressed in military fatigues. Alongside her, a Pichu marching in cadence with her. She shouted: “COMPANY HALT! COMMANDER MOM WHY HAVE WE STOPPED?”

Carol smiled at her daughter. “Sorry honey, some trainers were outside your fathers gym and I was stopping to say hello. Everyone, this is my daughter, Jane.

“THAT IS PRIVATE JANE JOY!” the kid shouted at the top of her lungs. “AND HER PARTNER, PRIVATE TIA!”

“Oh my god, she’s so cuuuuuteee!” Ashley said as Giselle let out a little squee. The two fought each other, both trying to hug the Pichu.

Hope looked offended, and then Thunder Shocked the two idiots.

“...but not as cute as you, Hope… I’m sorry, I’ll never call another Pokemon other than you adorable ever again!” Ashley said, twitching, her hair standing on end.

Carol smiled. “That Pikachu, she looks to be in really healthy condition, I can tell you care for her very much. Actually, I could use your help, if you’re all available.”

“Help?” Brock asked. “Help with what?”

“Well, as my hospital is the closest, all of the Pokemon that Damien and his gang hoarded were sent to me. But, well…”

“...I’m imagining they don’t trust humans very much at all, do they?” Ashley said, sadly.

“Not in the slightest, those brutes abused them so much that they’re scared stiff of everyone who tries to get close to them. I want to help treat them, rehabilitate them and release them back into the wild if possible, but…” Carol sighed. “That’s proving to be easier said than done.”

“I see,” Brock said, with a frown. “We’ll do anything we can to help. I want to be a Pokemon breeder some day, one of the best in the world, so if I didn’t drop everything and help care for injured and frightened Pokemon I might as well just give up now!”

“Thank you,” Carol said, wearily. “Thank you so much. I just wish all Pokemon trainers were as kind as you…”

—--

Brock’s face was like stone, even as the group entered the Pokemon center.

“You don’t happen to have any chainmail, do you? Divers use it when in Sharpedo-infested waters, to avoid being bitten,” Brock said. “I think it’ll work for this situation as well.”

“I go diving in my spare time, and the bay has been known to be frequented with Sharpedo from time to time,” Carol said. “My sister, she got me a chainmail suit last Christmas. I’ll go get it.”

“You’ll need more than a chainmail suit,” a little voice spoke up, and Brock turned to see a little blond girl looking up from her sketchbook. An Eevee rested by her side, and both were covered in paint splotches. “Do you have any Pokemon who know the move Aromatherapy? The Pokemon, I can feel them… they’re crying in pain, their souls are tormented by the abuse inflicted on them.”

“I’m mostly a Rock-type trainer, although I do have a Grotle although it’s not a move he can learn,” Brock said.

“My Floette’s learned it,” Giselle spoke up, handing Brock her Pokemon’s ball. “You can borrow her for this, honestly I… I’d help you more if I could but… Honestly, I can’t… Seeing poor Tadashi was enough for me.”

“Don’t worry, I’m going to take good care of all of them,” Brock said. “I’ve devoted my life to caring for Pokemon, in all shapes and in all forms. It’s time to put my knowledge to the real test.”

“Follow me,” Carol said, with the chainmail suit in hand. “They’re right this way. I’m sorry, in advance for what you’re about to see.”

A few rooms over, Brock’s heart nearly broke seeing the various 30 odd pokemon in frankly terrible condition. They were covered in bruises, scars and burns, and some of the injuries looked horribly fresh.

He spotted a Vaporeon, which couldn’t quite look him in the eye.

“Okay, shhhhhhh, okay…” Brock said, staying as far back from the Vaporeon in front of him while speaking in a gentle voice. The water type’s ears were tucked back, head lowered and her tail was wrapped around herself. “Just show me where it hurts, okay? What happened to you, bud, huh?”

“That one,” Carol sighed. “That one really breaks my heart, she was forcibly evolved all so that brute could say he had a complete collection of Eeveelutions. He was setting himself up for failure, anyways, given Umbreon, Sylveon and Espeon only evolve due to a strong friendship with their trainers.”

Brock fought back a growl so as not to spook the Pokemon. “People like that… I don’t even understand how they’re given licenses to train Pokemon in the first place. How could a guy like this go undetected for so long?”

“Simple, he never went to Pokemon Centers, he treated them all himself,” Carol said. 

“...and yet he’s the reason they’re still in that position to begin with,” Brock said. “The hypocrisy is amazing. Floette, help me out here, okay?”

The little fairy appeared, eyes watery but understood what Brock needed of her. She glowed with a pink light, and suddenly the room was filled with a soothing aroma.

“Vay…” the Vaporeon said, looking a little calmer.

“That’s right, I’m here to help,” Brock said. “My name’s Brock, I’ve been training to be a Pokemon Breeder and I can’t just stand by and see you all in so much pain. I want to help you, but you have to let me care for you. I understand what Damien and his gang did to all of you, and I’m not asking you to lend me your trust immediately. Just that you try to believe in the me who believes in all of you, okay?”

“Vay…” the water-type nodded weakly, still not quite meeting his eyes but it was a start. 

“Alright, where to start…?” Brock said, looking at how thin a lot of the Pokemon actually were. Mentally, he swore seeing how some were just skin and bones. “Is anyone hungry? Does anyone want to smell what the Brock is cooking?”

“Magna…” another Pokemon, one he recognized as a Magnamite hummed weakly as it lofted over to him. It was a gold color instead of the usual silver he’d seen, and he sighed. Damien probably just saw a rare Pokemon, instead of a living creature with its own heart and it’s own feelings.

“Wow, you’re really low on electricity aren’t you? I have some spare batteries for my flashlight, would that help?” Brock asked, as he dug around in his backpack. 

Two smaller Pokemon, a Cleffa and a Happiny approached him only to hide out of sight behind an equally weak Flareon. The Pokemon let out a hiss, ears curled back and leaped at him with a Fire Fang, obviously to protect the little ones.

“Grooooooaaaaaaaaaah!” Quake said as he rose up out of his Pokeball, curling around his trainer protectively. The Flareon leaped backwards.

“Quake, no, I didn’t need you to protect me. You scared him,” Brock said, chiding the rock snake.

“Groahhhh…” Quake said, the Onix lowering his head in shame.

And all of the Pokemon who’d been a little won over to his side now looked more terrified than ever.

“...and back to square one,” Brock said with a sigh. “Well, nobody said this was going to be easy, did they?”

—--

“How’s it going so far?” Ashley said, holding Tadashi in a comforting hug and stroking his scales. She looked at Brock’s face, and winced. “...right, sorry I asked.”

“As you can guess, it’s not going well. I was making progress, and then Quake tried to protect me from a Fire Fang. So now we’re back to square one again,” Brock sighed, as he sat down.

“Well, you got them to trust you the first time, didn’t you?” Ashley said, in her own simplistic optimistic way. “So you can do it again, right?”

“...were it so easy…” Brock sighed. “I know, I shouldn’t get frustrated, and nobody ever said it was going to be easy but we were building up a rapport.”

“...if only they could see what Pokemon who are actually looked after are like, but…” Ashley said, trailing off.

“But what? That might actually be a good idea,” Brock said. “You’re a genius, Ashley!”

“Ha! Of course I am! I’m going to be the World’s Greatest Pokemon Master, after all!” Ashley chortled. “I have genius ideas all the time! Though, damn, they might think you’re going to battle them if you let out too many Pokemon at once.”

“I only need just two others,” Brock said, snapping his fingers. “Can I borrow Tadashi for a moment, actually?”

“Huh?”

“The way I see it, if they could see how much Tadashi’s already improved under your care, that might help rebuild a few bridges actually,” Brock said. “Plus, there’s that Corviknight I captured when we were saving those eggs from that poacher. Raevyn’s feathers are sharp, shiny and she’s beginning to trust me.”

“That’s a great idea, what do you say bud?” Ashley said, looking at Tadashi. “Wanna help your old pals?”

“Char!” Tadashi said, with a little nod. 

Brock smiled. “You’ve got a way with Pokemon, Ashley. You’ve only had him for a few days and he already trusts you. Dragon types, and Dragon adjacent Pokemon like the Charmander line are fiercely loyal, and that sort of trust is hard to win back once it’s broken.”

“I think, well I like to think on some level that Tadashi knew what Damien did to him… it wasn’t right, I like to think, or maybe I’m projecting, hoping, whatever that he didn’t fully trust him to begin with.”

“Well, whatever the case, he trusts you now,” Brock said. “Still, I’d be careful and keep an eye on him, Ashley. Not all scars are visible, after all.”

And Brock could have sworn he heard the girl mutter: “...yeah, that’s the truth, isn’t it? Tadashi, he’s just like me… We were both hurt by people we care about, right Gary?” under her breath. He’d liked to have pretended that he hadn’t heard it but the words stayed in his mind longer than he would have liked…

—--

“Hey, I brought you guys an old friend,” Brock said, gently setting Tadashi down. Quite a few of the Pokemon looked up in surprise, seeing the once sickly-looking lizard. “Charmander, or Tadashi as his new parent calls him, he’s under the care of a girl who actually loves him. She treats him as if he was one of her own captures, and as you all can see, he’s a very healthy fire-type. Just look at his tail!”

Tadashi’s tail flame was indeed burning brightly, and he had a lot more meat on his bones. As Brock stroked the little lizard’s head scales, quite a few of Damien’s former Pokemon were shocked to see the orange fire-type lean into the breeder’s touch.

“Char…” Tadashi said, happily and gently nuzzled Brock’s leg.

The group of Pokemon in front of him still looked nervous, but the Vaporeon from before began to approach Brock. Her stomach rumbled.

“That’s what I thought, I knew you were hungry,” Brock said, putting out a bowl and filling it with food. “Eat up, I don’t just cook for my friends, I cook for their Pokemon as well. It’s my own secret recipe! You want to know why both my Onix and Tadashi here look so big and strong? It’s because of how many vitamins I pack into this food, to help them grow.”

“Vay!” the Vaporeon said, nibbling away at the food. She still couldn’t meet Brock’s eyes, and indeed pulled the food bowl away but progress was progress.

“Here’s another Pokemon who needed a bit of tender love and care,” Brock said, revealing his Corviknight. “See how big and strong she is? See how sharp her feathers are? She wasn’t always this way, the man I rescued her from didn’t see her as anything but a tool to help feed his greed. I see her differently, I see her for what she is. A Pokemon who deserves respect like any other, to be treated like the graceful lady that she is.”

“Coooorrrrrrrrr!” Raevyn crowed, spreading her wings and gently nibbling on Brock’s hair with her beak.

“So,” Brock said with a knowing look, as he began to cook on a miniature stove. “Who else is hungry?”

—--

Eventually Brock returned, looking tired but happy.

“Success?” Ashley said, looking up as Tadashi walked over to her.

“Success,” Brock said, exhausted but pleased. “For now, at least. All of these Pokemon still have a long road ahead of them. And that’s why I’m staying behind.”

“Y-You are?”

“I’m needed here, at the moment. You’ve got Erika to guide you on your journey, right now my place is here helping these Pokemon get back to health both physically and mentally. They’ve got a lot of scars that still need healing and right now I’m the only one they trust.”

“Y-Yeah…” Ashley said, eyes a little watery. “Still…”

“I know, I’ll miss you too, little sis. I’ll call you whenever I can, and when I can, I’ll rejoin you. Remember, I’ll only be a phone call away, okay?”

“Y-Yeah,” Ashley said, hugging him tightly and if she started to cry well Brock didn’t say a word.

—--

“...I know, I shouldn’t be so sad, I knew he couldn’t stay with us forever, ‘Shi, but…” 

Giselle paused in her tracks, and she couldn’t help but overhear the conversation through a crack in the open door.

“I dunno, am I being selfish? It’s just, it’s the first time in a while I thought that… Ever since dad left, the only two men in my life have been, well, Professor Oak and Gary and well you know how that’s going, right?”

“Char…” Tadashi said, softly in understanding.

“It’s just, sometimes I feel like everyone I care about leaves me. I’m waiting for just, y’know, the other boot to drop.”

Giselle couldn’t hear anymore, and she walked off fighting back a sob. 

“Giselle?” Ashley said, poking her head out of her room, seeing her walk away. Giselle turned back to look at her, realizing she obviously hadn’t been as quiet as she thought.

“...Oh, uh… Ashley, I was just…”

“It’s okay, I feel glad someone else besides Tadashi knows how I feel. I want to tell Erika how I feel, I do, it’s just…”

“She’s older?” Giselle said. “...and now I feel even worse, because… I realized I’m not a proper rival to you yet and I need to venture out on my own, discover who I am and… You’re not holding me back Ashley, don’t take it that way! I just… I need some space to clear my head, work out who I am. I’m not that lass from PokeTech Academy, it’s just… I don’t know who I am right now.”

“No hard feelings,” Ashley said, and Giselle could see nothing but truth in those eyes. “Honest! I understand completely, I want to see you at your best and well, I’m not the best example to learn from am I?”

“I dunno,” Giselle said, gently punching her arm. “You’re a lot better at being an example than you think. I’ve already learned so much in my time spent with you, as is. I just… I want to see the world, I want to see Kanto as I should have been doing instead of sitting behind a computer.”

“Which, yeah, go on!” Ashley said. “Just don’t fall too far behind, before I overtake you! When we reach the Indigo Plateau, together, I want to battle you at our full strength with a full team of powerful Pokemon!”

“Same,” Giselle said, before leaning in. “But until then, for luck.”

“For luck?” Ashley blinked, cluelessly before Giselle kissed her again with her hands cupping her face. Giselle lifted one leg, even as Ashley’s arms instinctively wrapped around her waist.

“Like I said, for luck. Now you can’t lose,” Giselle said. “Not when you’ve been touched by a star such as moi~! Now go on Ashley, show Kanto what you’re made of. If Gary tries to get in your way, stomp him flat. There’s only one person I want to face at the Indigo League, and it isn’t him!”

With that, she saunted off, with Yorick and Floette's balls in her bag with a smile feeling lighter than she had in weeks. 

“Well,” Ashley said looking down at Tadashi. “A promise is a promise, right? She wants to face you at your full strength, so let’s get you there huh? You’ll be a powerful Charizard in no time!”

“Char!” Tadashi said as he looked out the window and for a moment, if you looked at him hard you could see wings sprouting from his back and his tail burning even brighter.

A new rivalry had been declared, the gauntlet thrown down and even with two friends leaving… Ashley felt like she knew where she was going with her life. The Indigo Plateau beckoned, and she’d answer its call!

Chapter Text

Our duo were just a days walk outside of Saffron City, the road feeling longer than normal even as a cool breeze rustled the tall grass. Ashley could barely keep her cap on her head, her skirt ruffling in the breeze.

“Honestly, it’s… Honestly it’s very quiet without Brock or Giselle by our side, and… You know, it’s strange how just a couple days with someone can become normal to you,” Erika mused.

“Yeah…” Ashley sighed. “Do you think I was holding Giselle back, because I kinda got that impression.”

“No, you weren’t,” Erika said, soothingly. “You were just what Giselle needed, to make her not just a better trainer but a better person. And baby Pidgeys always have to leave the nest eventually.”

“It’s like that old saying, when you love something, you have to set it free, right?”

“Love, huh?” Erika arched an eyebrow, teasingly. 

“Oh hush, it wasn’t like that! I’m a girl, she’s a girl, and we’re just good friends!”

“Uh-huh, because that kiss she gave you sure looked really friendly,” Erika said, and watched as Ashley blushed all of the way to her ears making a little whine that sounded like a tea kettle. “Anyways, I have to ask, why’d you want to go to Saffron? Celadon’s closer, and it’s usually the fourth gym people go to, after beating Surge.”

“That’s just it, Erika, you’re like… y’know, my mentor and I want to battle you at your full strength,” Ashley said. “Like I said before, I want to battle you last, when I’m at my best so I can challenge you at your best.”

Erika flushed, looking rather touched. “Okay then, I’ll make sure to battle you with a full 8 badge level team, my strongest blooms.”

“Alright!” Ashley said, punching the air. “Alright, we’re almost to Saffron City where my next gym battle awaits! My next victory!”

“One track mind that girl,” Erika said as she shook her head fondly. “Ashley you better be careful, Sabrina is a very strong gym leader. Probably the second strongest in Kanto besides Giovanni. Certainly the prettiest…”

“Awesome, I love a challenge!”

“Heh, I suppose you do. Her Pokemon are not pushovers, but honestly I’m looking forward to seeing how you’ve grown,” Erika said before smiling a little to herself. “...and I’m looking forwards to seeing Sabrina, maybe this time I can finally work up the nerve to talk to her and…”

“Work up the nerve to what?”

“Oh don’t mind me, just talking to myself…” Erika said, flushing a light pink and hiding her face behind her fan. “Anyways, after you beat Sabrina, I want to stop by Celedon. There’s something I want to take care of, and I need to check up on some of my blooms as well.”

“Yeah well I'll be ok even if I lose, I can just bounce back stronger again!” Ashley said, and Hope looked ready to agree with her. But before the little mouse could say anything, a sharp scream was heard from somewhere just up ahead.

Erika sighed fondly to herself, as she joined Ashley in a run. “Here she goes again, rushing into danger. That’s just like her, isn’t it?”

—--

A woman, in a wheelchair was being chased by a massive, and rather angry Ursaring. The woman had long brown hair, and wore a light blue kimono. Rolling her wheelchair as fast as she could, behind her a larger, dark brown feathered Farfetch’d was swinging around a massive leek knocking the Ursaring back.

However, the duck was clearly injured, covered in bruises and scrapes and panting and sweating hard. The woman had fallen out of her wheelchair, desperately reaching for a pokeball and tossing it.

A Spearow burst free from the woman’s Pokeball, and it let out a low cry before swooping in wings spread wide.

“Musashi, use your Peck attack now!” the woman said, in a stern but sweet voice as the Spearow flew upwards with its beak aimed like an uppercut punch.

“URSSSSAAAAAAAAAA!” the massive bear growled, charging up a powerful Hyper Beam.

“PIKA!” Hope said as she leaped into the air, swatting at the Ursaring’s head with her Iron Tail. The Ursaring stumbled back, as Hope landed on Ashley’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, we’re here to help!” Ashley said. “Hope, Electro-Web now!”

“Chu-pi!” Hope said, springing off her shoulder and firing golden webbing from her tail, trapping the Ursaring against a tree.

“URSSAAAAAA!” the bear growled as it pulled itself free, only to find itself face to face with a massive leek. The leek was swung rapidly towards the bear, the tiny by comparison Wild Duck Pokemon not even remotely unnerved.

“That’s a Brutal Swing,” Ashley gasped. “I’ve never seen a Farfetch’d with a leek that huge!”

Said Brutal Swing slammed into the Ursaring’s gut and it was clearly a critical hit judging by the roar of pain.

“Mustard, help him out!” Ashley said, tossing the bee’s Pokeball. “Sludge Bomb, now!”

“Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Mustard buzzed, gathering a glob of poison in between his stingers and launching it at the bear.

“Ursa!” the bear roared, realizing it was outmatched and stomping off into the woods. 

The Farfetch’d walked over to both Ashley and her Beedril and did a respectful bow, letting out a thankful quack. It then stumbled and staggered, letting out a cry of pain.

“Boy, you got beat up badly, didn’t you?” Ashley said, spraying the Wild Duck with a potion she’d gotten from Brock. “Still, you did great, you’re like an honorable samurai, refusing to lay down your blade to protect your trainer.”

If she didn’t know better, Ashley would have sworn the Wild Duck was blushing at the praise.

The woman, still on the ground crawls towards Ashley in a panic, tears falling from her eyes. “PLEASE I NEED YOUR HELP I HAD TO LEAVE NOBUNAGA BEHIND!”

Ashley blinked, completely confused and she topples backwards. The strange woman was clinging to her, and was on top of her even as Erika walked up to see this scene.

“I see flirting with strange girls now are we? You’re a real casanova, sis,” Erika deadpanned  “So what happened here anyways?”

“Oh thank Arceus, a gym leader!” the woman said. “Please please help Nobunaga! I don’t have much but I’ll pay you whatever I can! Just please, you have to help him!” 

“Hey hey it's ok we will help just tell us what's going on alright?” Ashley said, soothingly as the woman sobbed into her chest. She hiccuped, and tried to compose herself.

“R-Right, yes, apologies,” the woman said, with a nod. “My name is Keiko Masamune. I’m from azure village and I recently started my pokemon journey and I was looking for an Abra when I was attacked from out of nowhere by Team Rocket!”

And so she explained what happened…

A Sirfetch’d, somewhat larger than normal, knocked down a Kingler with one stroke of his blade. Holding his blade in both of his wings, he slashed downwards knocking out the giant crab.

There were several grunts, along with a well-dressed man in white in front of her. The grunts were taking a few steps back in fear The Sirfetch’d tapped his blade on his shoulder, flashing a cocky grin with his bill.

“How are we losing to that wild duck? Farfetch’d may be rare Pokemon, but they’re some of the weakest around!” the man, obviously a higher ranking member said, pulling out strands of cyan blue hair.

“Actually that's a Sirfetch’d, they are typically found in the Galar region,” one of the grunts had the courage to comment.

“I DON'T CARE IF IT'S A TALKING PIXIE WHY ARE WE LOSING TO IT?” the Rocket in charge shouted. “Fine then, it appears I’ll have to do this myself! Houndoom, go get him! Crunch Attack, now!”

Yasuke burst out of his pokeball to challenge the beast, quacking out: “Fetch’d fetch!” 

The Sirfetch’d stared at him hard before then looking to his trainer, Nobunaga nodded. “Ok, Yasuke looks like you're gonna get to fight.”

The Houndoom leaped forwards into his Crunch attack, only for Yasuke to knock him back with his massive leek.

“Houndoom,” the executive said. “Taunt!”

The Houndoom grinned, pulling a face and driving Yasuke into a rage. He swung his leek wildly, with the Houndoom dodging every time.

“Shadow Ball!” the executive cried even as Keiko said: “Swift!”

Shadow Ball met golden stars, the attacks canceling each other out.

“Crunch, again!” the exec said, only for his Houndoom to be knocked into a tree. However, Yasuke was panting hard, and was getting tired.

“Okay then… Houndoom return,” the exec said. “I’ve got just the Pokemon to wipe the floor with this snot-nosed brat. Go get him!

And with that, he sent out an…

“An Eevee?” Ashley blinked. “An Eevee did all that?”

“This… no that wasn’t any ordinary Eevee…” Keiko said.

“This’ll be a perfect time to see the results of my experiments! Eevee, evolve now!”

The Eevee let out a cry of pain as she forcibly changed, on cue and going against all rules of evolution. She became taller, her skin pinker with a red gem on her forehead. In the background, most of the grunts looked on in awe. One however, with long brown hair, looked horrified.

“Espeon, use Psychic, now!” the executive cried out, and Yasuke was lifted into the air. “Slam him into the ground, now!”

And Yasuke fell, crashing into the dirt.

“Sir!” Nobunaga said, drawing his blade for what was probably an impossible fight even as the Eevee shifted again. This time into a Sylveon, looking far more frightening than any cutesy Fairy-type had any right to.

“Sir!” Nobunaga said, looking back at his trainer.

Keiko nodded, she understood.

“And that’s when you found me, that guy… Archer, he said his name was, he sent his Ursaring after me. Leave no witnesses I guess.”

“...holy shit,” Ashley breathed out, her fists clenching. “Team Rocket… they did that to a poor little Eevee? But… why? How could they? That’s cruelty!”

“It’s Team Rocket,” Erika said, barely managing to hold back her own rage. “They don’t care about the Pokemon they’ve captured, all they care about is power. They want to control all of Kanto, never mind who or what gets hurt in the process.”

“We’ve got to stop them!” Ashley declared.

“We don’t even know where they are!” Erika said. “Think about it Ashley, they could be miles away by now!”

“Nidoqueen, go, right now!” a female voice called out, and Ashley turned to see a Rocket grunt, maybe two to three years older than her walking up.

“...or they could be right nearby,” Erika amended her statement. “Meadow, go!”

“Come on Tadashi, I need your help!” Ashley said, letting out her Charmander.

“NIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiddddddoooooo!” the Nidoqueen snarled, appearing from inside a black and gold-banded luxury ball.

“Tadashi, Flamethrower!”

“Meadow, Razor Leaf!” 

Both Pokemon attacked the massive blue poison-type, which suddenly morphed and changed.

“Huh?” Ashley blinked.

“Wait a moment… that’s a Ditto!” Erika said as the Pokemon changed into a Manectric standing tall and proud. “Just who are you? You’re way too young to be a member of Team Rocket!”

“Guess they’re really desperate, and the pay’s great,” the grunt snarked. “So are you going to battle me, or can I just take your Pokemon?”

“Oh we’ll beat you, and then you’ll tell us where Archer’s hiding out!”

“Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, I could tell you right now, and take you there, if you just hand me your Pokemon,” the girl said, spinning in place. “I mean, nothing in life is free after all and my Ditty can change into any Pokemon it wants. So, you really don’t have much of a chance.”

She smiled flirtatiously.

“You’re both cute and all, but like let’s be honest here, you’re facing a member of Team Rocket. I’m not like those idiots who keep stalking you, I’m way more competent.”

“And plenty full of yourself!”

“Ditty, show them I’m not just talk!” the grunt said. “Transform again, and transform into something really impressive this time!”

A loud screech filled the air as Ditty leaped into the air, and grew wings which quickly ignited into flame.

“A… a Moltres!” Erika said, stunned. “But Ditto can only change into Pokemon they’ve seen! Then that must mean…”

“Yeah, to put it simply, I’m way above both of your levels. So,” the Rocket grunt said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes and a smug little smile. “What will it be? Die, or let me have your Pokemon?”

“I’d rather die than do that!”

Erika gasped, and even the grunt looked shocked and was that horror on her face?

“Nah, no need to resort to such bloody tactics, I’m a grunt but I’m not a monster. I’m not going to kill a fellow trainer. Honestly, I was just joking about the killing you part!”

“You don’t train Pokemon,” Ashley growled. “You use them for your own desires!”

“Believe it or not, not all of us treat Pokemon like tools, I love mine and I can tell you do too,” the grunt said, and something in her eyes made Ashley almost want to believe her.

There was something else as well, Ashley couldn’t describe it exactly but something in the grunt’s eyes made her know she could be trusted.

Ashley sighed. “...fine, have it your way.”

She swallowed, right now she knew she didn’t have much choice and fighting that Ditto would only get her and her Pokemon hurt. 

So this was the real Team Rocket huh? She had to admit, she could see why they were so terrifying. If this was the power they held, and the lengths they were willing to go to.

How could anyone ever beat them?

—--

“Draaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggoooooooooooooooon!” 

Lance strode into the room, and eyed his starter as it thrashed around madly in a dragon sized temper tantrum.

“What’s wrong with you? What is it?” he asked. “You’re never like this, something… something’s calling out to you, isn’t it? What is it girl? What can you hear?”

His Dragonite roared, thrashing about and Lance thought fast and enlarged a Pokeball.

“Niohoggr, let’s go! Calm her down!” Lance said, releasing a pure black Haxorous which quickly grappled with Fafnir pushing her backwards.

“Come on girl, speak to me… what is it? Who’s calling you, huh?” Lance said even as Fafnir quickly blew violent winds about the room.

Niohoggr stumbled back from the violent Hurricane and braced for impact as Fafnir charged up her Hyper Beam. 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Lance said. “Too many Pokemon have been hurt by humans already. Humans, we don’t deserve you, we’re too cruel and too selfish to see you as the beautiful graceful creatures that you are. But… if I have to…”

He sighed.

“Breaking Swipe, now!” he ordered, and Niohoggr slammed a claw into the outraged dragon-type.

Fafnir let out a cry of pain and Lance’s heart broke. He was no better than all of those other humans, hurting his own Pokemon.

“Please, don’t make me hurt you again!” Lance said. “Listen to me girl, whatever’s got you this way… I know you’re still in there! Remember, it’s me! Lance, your friend, your father! I hand-raised you, bottle fed you when your parents were killed by a Hydreigon!”

“Drag…” Fafnir moaned, finally realizing what she was doing and really looked at Lance, a guilty expression on her face.

Lance slid off Niohoggr’s back, and placed his hand onto Fafnir’s chest. The Blackthorn clan, his people, they’d always had this special ability to look into a dragon-type’s heart.

And right now, Lance could see what Fafnir’s heart wanted.

“A… Oh I see, you don’t want to fight, you want to fu… But it’s nowhere near your mating season yet!” Lance said. “Unless…”

He frowned.

Someone clearly wanted his attention.

They’d be sorry they got it.

—--

As the group moved through the forest, Ashley’s eyes drilled into the back of their captor’s skull.

“Gee lighten up,” the grunt said, turning back to her with a cheeky flirty grin on her face. “You looked like I just kicked your Growlithe or something.”

“YOUR STEALING OUR POKEMON WHY SHOULD WE LIGHTEN UP!?!” Ashley snapped at her.

“PIKA!” Hope shouted in agreement, cheeks igniting in short bursting sparks of electricity.

“I bet you feel so tough, stealing a disabled girl’s Pokemon as well,” Keiko said, in a perfect deadpan. “Like does it make you feel like a big girl or something? So, does it? Having powerful Pokemon just given to you, stolen from trainers who probably cared about them very much?”

“I caught my own Pokemon,” the grunt said. “I don’t need to steal any of them, honestly I hate stealing Pokemon. It feels like a cheap way to get stronger, using others’ strength instead of your own.”

“And yet here you are, in Team Rocket,” Ashley said, sassily. “I think you picked the wrong career if you hate stealing.”

Erika just glared spitefully at the young woman. “You’re an embarrassment to female Pokemon trainers everywhere, throwing in your lot with Team Rocket. If you care about your Pokemon so much, ditch them unless you’re just all talk. Meaningless platitudes to make yourself feel better.”

“Ugh, I’m not going to take your Pokemon, I was joking about that too! Sheesh, you people ruin all the fun of things, I’m not even with Rocket, I’m a spy okay?” the grunt said. “I’ve got my own reasons for working with Team Rocket.”

“For a rival organization?” Erika surmised.

“Something like that, yeah,” the grunt replied. 

“Quit being evasive!” Ashley snapped. “And another thing! YOU WERE JOKING!?! WHY WOULD YOU JOKE ABOUT STEALING POKEMON?”

She cuddled Hope close, along with Tadashi as Erika let out a sigh of relief. Keiko let out a happy little cry as she held her own Pokeballs close, even as Erika raised an eyebrow. “And I don’t suppose you’re going to tell us what those reasons are?”

“Nope it's a secret,” the mystery Rocket smiles cheekily at Erika. “As is my name.”

Eventually, the mystery girl led them inside an old bunker, probably left over from some war ages ago.

“Here we are, I’d be quick and be gone,” the mystery girl said. “Like get that Sirfetch’d back, and get out of here. Someone’s coming, and you don’t want to be here when he gets here. He’s powerful, so are his Pokemon.”

“You don’t mean…” Erika’s eyes widened.

“No, not the Boss, as much as I’d like it to be, no, it’s someone else. Someone much stronger, well he is a boss but he isn’t Team Rocket’s. Those idiots got his attention,” the ‘grunt’ said. “And now that they have it, well they’re going to regret that.”

She chuckled.

“Down those stairs, and keep hanging left. You’ll know that duck when you see him. Still, gotta keep my cover and well you three are all competent enough trainers, so you should be fine. …probably.”

“Huh?” Ashley asked and Erika groaned knowing what was coming. She wasn’t disappointed.

“Intruders! Intruders!” the female grunt said, before dashing off as more grunts showed up.

“HEY GET BACK HERE YOU… YOU… GRAH!” Ashley shouted before her eyebrow twitched. “Tadashi, help me clear a path!”

“Chaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!” Tadashi said, firing off a blast of his Flamethrower scorching the grunts’ Pokemon to a crisp.

The threesome made their way through the hideout, before a much larger, much burlier member of Rocket blocked their path.

“You!” Ashley gaped, seeing Cliff in front of her.

“Yes, me. So, I didn't think I’d be seeing you again, little miss,” Cliff said, tipping his hat and enlarging his partner’s Pokeball. “You’ve got a death wish or something kid? Because challenging Team Rocket like this… it’s not healthy for anyone in the long run.”

“Yeah, well, there’s a Pokemon who needs our help, so I’ll gladly do whatever I can to help or I’d never be able to call myself the World’s Greatest Pokemon Master!”

“You’ve got big dreams, huh don’t you kid?” Cliff said. “I gotta admire that, you know what you want in life but you’re taking the wrong road to get there.”

He wore a sympathetic expression, a honest genuine look of almost parental disappointment in his eyes.

“If you knew what was best for you, well you’d stay out of Team Rocket’s way. Don’t try to play hero kid, in the old stories those heroes never last long. But, I suppose I’ll indulge your fantasy for a little bit. Tyrannitar, help me out here.”

He threw his ultra ball, and the massive green reptilian Pokemon let out a roar.

“Don’t bust them up too badly, okay? Even if they’re complete idiots, they’re still just kids,” Cliff said. “Iron Head.”

The kaiju-like Pokemon let out another roar and charged forwards at the group’s Pokemon.

“Tadashi, slow him down with a Flamethrower!” Ashley said, and Erika released her own Beedrill.

“Venom! Use your Sludge Bomb!”

Tadashi released the strongest Flamethrower he had in him and the Tyrannitar let out a roar of pain. It didn’t do a lot of damage to the pseudo-legendary but it definitely did some.

Then, a ball of sludge landed on the reptilian Pokemon, and purple ooze dripped out from between its scales. Poison began to sip at, and eat away the rock/dark-type’s health.

“Knock that little salamander back with an Aqua Tail, half strength!” Cliff said, and his Tyrannitar’s tail glowed blue, dripping water all over the floor as it slammed into Tadashi.

The Charmander flew back, into Ashley’s arms and let out a little cry of pain.

“...if that was only that attack at half strength, then…” she swallowed. “Holy crap, that thing’s a beast. I might be in over my head here.”

“You see now the difference in strength between you and I?” Cliff said. “I’m a wall in your path, and you’re never going to break me down. You should have turned and ran when you had the chance, kid. Now don’t make me hurt you further.”

“Pikapi!” Hope said to her trainer.

“Right!” Ashley said, understanding immediately. Hope did possess one move that would definitely help here.

“That little mouse, against my Tyrannitar?” Cliff said. “Are you sure about that? Or are you just trying to get another one of your partners hurt?”

“Just watch, this little mouse is going to really shock you!” Ashley said. “Hope, you know what to do right?”

“PIKA!” Hope cried and broke into a sprint, racing all around the Tyrannitar with the much larger Pokemon unable to keep track. The reptilian Pokemon looked to be plenty confused, trying to keep eyes on the little mouse.

“Now, Iron Tail!”

“Dragon Claw when she strikes!” Cliff said and his Pokemon let out a roar, his claw glowing with a violent purple energy.

“Hope, slam your tail into his attack! Cancel it out,” Ashley said. “Knock it back!”

“Chu!” Hope said, smacking her tail into the attack and making it fizzle out.

“Now, before he has a chance to react… Iron Tail again!” Ashley said and Hope leaped upwards slamming her tail down on the Tyrannitar’s head.

Hope flipped backwards, skidding on the ground as Tyrannitar staggered from the poison. 

“Far!” Yasuke said, stepping up to the plate in front of Hope.

“You sure?” Ashley said. “That guy looks tough.”

“Far…” Yasuke said, taking his leek into his beak and pulling out two smaller leeks sharpened to a point like blades.

“Yeah, you’ll be fine, Ashley,” Keiko said. “Yasuke… he’s got it in his head that he’ll be like the honorable and noble samurai of old. Or at least the ones from Kurosawa’s old jidaigeki films.”

“Oh, one of those types, huh?” Cliff said. “Well, everyone’s got their quirks I guess.”

“Okay then…” Keiko said. “Yasuke, mix your Rock Smash with your Fury Cutter!”

Yasuke struck again and again, with the power of Rock Smash mixed with the unrelenting speedy swipes of the bug-type Fury Cutter. His ‘blades’ were a spinning storm of slashes, cutting into the Tyrannitar’s hide.

“Unbelievable!” Cliff said as the massive rock-type fell backwards into a faint. He sighed. “Very well, that other duck is yours. Still, I’d get out of here fast. Archer’s already coming to see what all this ruckus is. If you thought I was tough, then you haven’t seen anything yet. He’s much tougher.”

Keiko, after freeing Nobunaga from confinement, hugged the other duck close to her chest.

“Honestly, thank you all so much…” she said, tears leaking from her eyes. 

“Don’t thank us yet,” Erika said. “We’ve still got to get out of here.”

“Just go back the way we came, right?” Keiko said. 

“We need to quit talking, and start running,” Erika said. “We’re losing valuable time, and that Archer guy… he could be on top of us any minute now!”

“Right!” Ashley said as the three went for the exit, passing through a laboratory with various Pokemon floating inside tubes. “Oh what the hell… that’s… none of this is right.”

Mismatched Pokemon, revived from fossils, floated inside the tubes. One had a fish’s head, put on backwards and another was a tiny golden raptor stuck to the back end of a much larger Pokemon.

“By Arceus…” Erika said, reading over the names. “Dracozolt… Dracofish… These aren’t Pokemon, these are just mismatched creations! Living abominations!”

Ashley let out a sob at the sight, before spotting an empty tank. 

“Hey, what was in this one? Mew? MEW?” Ashley’s eyes widened. “...wait, Team Rocket stole fossilized Mew DNA from the Pewter Museum, didn’t they? Are they trying to…?”

“Yeah, play god,” Erika said. “I’m willing to bet that Eevee that you described Keiko, it was a test bed for the DNA to see if it was even viable. We… yeah, we really need to get out of here.”

“Umbreon, Shadow Ball!” called a voice, and Keiko’s eyes widened as a machine exploded covering the whole room in smoke.

As the smoke cleared, Archer was revealed with a menacing gleam in his eyes as Umbreon ‘devolved’ into an Eevee.

“Like them? You’re not going to get to appreciate them for much longer, but I have to ask… What do you think of my work?”

“You’re sick!” Ashley said.

“No no no, I’m perfectly well. I’m not insane, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Archer said. “My parents had me tested for that, I was given a clean bill of health. I just like playing with DNA, seeing what happens. Personally, I think they’re magnificent creations if you’re asking me.”

He sucked in a breath.

“But like I said, you won’t be able to appreciate my work for much longer. Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick and painless for you. I commend you for even getting this far,” Archer said. “So it’s the least I can do, as a show of mercy. Now, what form should I use here… Eevee’s got so many different possible evolutions, including some we’ve yet to even discover! I can’t wait to find out what they are!”

Yasuke’s blades gleamed as he stood in front of our heroes protectively.

“You didn’t stand a chance before, so what makes you think you’ll stand a chance now?” Archer laughed. “But, very well, I’ll entertain your delusions. Espeon, Psybeam!”

“Eeee… Espeon!” the Eevee said, forcibly evolving herself into the Sun Pokemon. 

“Yasuke, hit her hard and don’t give her a chance to fire off another attack! Fury Cutter Rock Smash combo, again!” Keiko said, and Yasuke leapt forwards spinning like a drill through the Psybeam and slicing into the Espeon’s body.

The Espeon slid backwards, hit with critical hit after critical hit and Yasuke pointed one of his leekblades at the Espeon as if to say ‘bring it’.

Then, Yasuke began to glow, growing larger with his main leek turning sharper like a blade.

“SIR!” Yasuke said, his dark fur now a golden color as he held out his new blade. 

“Huh, I wondered when he’d finally evolve,” Keiko said. “Galarian Farfetch’d, they evolve only after scoring enough critical hits in battle. And Yasuke’s been training hard, to match his teacher’s blade and even developing his own unique three sword style.”

“Evolution or not, it still won’t be enough!” Archer said, before the whole base shook. A wall was blown open, a very familiar man behind it with a larger than usual Dragonite gently flapping behind him.

“Lance!?!” Ashley and Erika said, stunned.

“Hahaha, now all the pieces are falling into place!” Archer said. “You came, just like I predicted! And now, I can steal your Dragonite in the name of Team Rocket!”

“Giving off a false mating call to lure my Fafnir here to you,” Lance said. “You may regret that. If you’re a member of Team Rocket, then I’ll just send you blasting off into outer space and rescue all of the Pokemon you’ve hurt.”

“Lance, wait!” Ashley said, in alarm knowing what Archer’s Eevee could do. “It’s a-”

“Eevee, evolve into Jolteon and fire off your Thunderbolt!” Archer commanded and Lance’s eyes widened.

“JOLT!” the electric fox said, sparks flying everywhere…

—--

An explosion erupted from within the forest, Lance and his Dragonite flying higher as a golden bolt of electricity tried to reach them.

Archer was standing atop the hole of his exposed hideout, his Jolteon/Espeon by his side. 

“Fafnir, Hyper Beam! Finish it in one shot!”

Down below, Ashley watched as the battle truly got underway.

“Come on, we shouldn’t stay here,” Erika said, grabbing her hand. “This whole bunker’s probably going to collapse all around us with how powerful Lance’s Dragonite is!”

Except it wasn’t Erika, Ashley knew Erika’s voice and that wasn’t her.

“It’s you!” she said, and Erika’s ‘face’ melted to reveal the ‘rocket grunt’ from before with the goo pooling around the older girl’s feet.

“Ditto!” the pink ooze chirped.

“...right, that’s just creepy, but why are you helping me?” Ashley said. “And where’s the real Erika and Keiko?”

“They had the good sense to get going and get gone!” the agent said. “Look, my codename, it’s-”

“Sylveon, Moonblast!” 

The two attacks collided, an explosion erupting.

“Damn, that’s not good. Fafnir needs to recharge after a Hyper Beam,” the agent said. “Get out of here Ashley, I mean it!”

“No way, Lance needs help!” Ashley said, scrambling up towards Archer and his mutating Eevee.

“...I swear, this girl, she doesn’t have any sense whatsoever. It’s always the brave ones,” the agent mused, as she went over to a computer, and injected a thumb drive. “...still, the files said she’s helped Lance before, dealing with Rocket’s tree-cutting operation in Viridian…”

She paused, seeing one heavily encrypted file marked only with the codeword “Orion”.

“No way I’ll have time to decrypt this here, I’ll just download it and run…” the agent said as the battle rumbled up above her and she heard the distinct sharp ‘clang’ of an Iron Tail attack. “...still, all the same… Goddamnit it, I hate having a conscience.”

Up above, Hope flipped backwards from a now dark-typed Eevee.

“How dare you interfere! Eevee, offense! Kill that brat! She’s been a thorn in Team Rocket’s side for far too long!”

“Eeeeeve…” the little sand fox cried out in pain, as she shifted from Umbreon to… something. Her whole body seemed to be changing rapidly, shifting from one form to the next and looked half melted.

The parts that weren’t melted were a mix of mismatched DNA creating a truly horrifying sight. The being, it couldn’t be called an Eevee anymore, had the electricity-charged fur of a Jolteon, the rings of an Umbreon, the forehead gem of an Espeon and the tail of a Vaporeon.

“By Arceus, what is that?” Lance gasped, Fafnir still clearly recovering energy. “What have you done?”

“Damn it, not now…” Archer said. “Her DNA had to break down now?”

“Hope, Electro-Web!” Ashley called, as Hope fired golden webbing from her tail at Archer pinning him down. The not an Eevee cried out in pain and Ashley didn’t know what to do even as Archer managed to release his Houndoom.

His Houndoom which was rapidly changing, growing and becoming more demonic, with longer horns.

“Meet Mega-Houndoom!” Archer cackled. “Rip her to shreds!”

“Ashley!” Lance cried out, even as Fafnir swooped in.

Then, two things happened at once. One, a Wigglytuff slammed into the Mega-Houndoom coated in a gold aura. Giga Impact, a part of Ashley’s brain remembered. Secondly, the ‘rocket agent’ ripped off her disguise to reveal a slinky black dress underneath.

“Traitor!” Archer gasped out even Mega-Houndoom fainted. 

“Sorry, hard to be a traitor when I was never on your side,” the agent flashed him a smile. “Now, you sit right there and shut up. No really, just shut up. Thanks Jiggly.”

She recalled her Fairy-type and then injected something into the Eevee and it seemed to… stabilize for lack of a better word. The rapid mutations began to slow, and it started to look more and more like an actual Pokemon than a creature from a fever dream.

“What was…?”

“D-Cells, pure D-Cells. Ditty, she used to be unable to stabilize herself, and I’ve kept some on me ever since,” the agent explained. “They should be bonding with this poor Eevee now, and while she’s not out of the woods now, she’s not going to just melt down anymore.”

Ashley still looked a bit green, even as Lance landed nearby.

“Hello again, Ashley. Sorry if we had to meet again like this, I guess we’re just both drawn to crisis against better sense,” Lance said. “Still, without you… Well, Team Rocket’s going to have serious trouble recovering after this. Executive Archer, at last. Agent Green and I have been after this bastard for months.”

“I told you I hate that codename! Why’d you have to name me after a color? Like what, do you name all your agents like that?” Green deadpanned. “Gold, Platinum, Red, Silver, Blue… We’re not a Sentai y’know!”

In spite of herself, Ashley couldn’t help but laugh.

—--

Sun set over the grasslands, the lights of Saffron City glowing in the distance.

“...Thanks,” Keiko said. “You two are just… well, you’re something else. Crazy, stupid, I’m not sure what.”

“Heheh, yeah, well I guess I’ve got a severe lack of self preservation,” Ashley said as Hope snuggled in her arms and Erika gave a ‘you think?’ sort of look which Hope quickly mimicked. “Still, this is about par for the course for me by this point.”

“What do you mean?”

Erika giggled behind her fan. “She means that on the first day of her journey, she threw herself in front of a Spearow flock to protect Hope, who still hated her.”

“And now we’re best buddies!” Ashley said, rubbing Hope’s head which made her ears perk up and made the mouse give out a happy little ‘cha!’ sound.

“Oh my god… that was you…” Keiko whispered. “Just before I started my journey, I was given a Spearow. My Spearow, Musashi, and all I knew was some trainers had captured a whole flock of them and…”

Her eyes were a bit wet as she wheeled herself over to Ashley and hugged her.

"You caught it for me, and… well, I kinda have to repay you. Musashi, he was my starter thanks to you.”

“Yeah?” Ashley said. “I just… I was just helping to deal with a mess, those Spearow have been a problem for years.”

“And now disabled people like me have their first Pokemon, in Spearows, in Minior and in Beedrill. I mean, you did all that work for no reward,” Keiko said. “That’s just not right, in my eyes. I’ll trade… no gift you one of my new catches later, make it official.”

“You don’t have to-”

Then, Yasuke walked up, and bowed to her in respect and Keiko smiled. “...oh, it’s like that, huh?”

“Eh?”

“Yasuke, he saw how you fought, and fought well against superior opponents. He, well needless to say you’ve won his respect. He wants to be your Pokemon now, I think,” Keiko said.

“SIR!” Yasuke nodded in confirmation.

“He’s at your command,” Keiko said. “So what are you going to do first?”

“I think,” Ashley said with that excited look in her eyes. “It should be master against student. What do you say, huh Yasuke?”

“Sirfetch!” the duck quacked, his leek blades sharp as ever.

“Okay then, Nobunaga, let’s see if your student has what it takes to leave the nest on his own!” Keiko said, and tossed a Pokeball…

—--

“Sir, Executive Archer, he’s been…”

“I know,” Giovanni said. “Continue with Project Orion, on schedule. Archer, I didn’t tell him everything, he never even saw me face to face. Still… that’s three times now we’ve run into that little Ketchum brat. She’s beginning to become quite the pain, she always seems to show up wherever we are. Looks like Champion Lance, he’s got a new student…”

The man chuckled, stroking his Persian.

“How interesting indeed… Jessie, James, they’re stalking her and Erika right? Contact them, tell them their top priority is to capture that brat, and her Pikachu and bring them to me!”

Chapter Text

Ashley, that night, awoke to the sound of sobbing and she wasn’t sure how she’d known something was wrong but something had instinctively told her to wake up now.

Her feet hitting the floorboards, they creaked underneath her weight and slowly but surely she found her way to Tadashi and pulled the little lizard into her arms.

“Hey, shhhh, it's okay,” Ashley said, and her palms glowed with a mystical blue light as she touched her Charmander and felt a rush of emotions. Confusion. Hurt. Grief . The feeling of just not being enough. 

Ashley for a moment saw through Tadashi’s eyes and saw him watching Yasuke train with Gale earlier, the duck working on the speed of his sword swings against the faster bird. 

“You… you felt left out didn’t you?”

No, that wasn’t it. That wasn’t what Tadashi was feeling, she realized. Her eyes widened slightly as she felt his emotions yet again. Desire. Hurt. Envy.

“...oh, that’s what it is,” she mused. “You’re afraid that just because I have a fully evolved Pokemon, one stronger than you, I’ll leave you behind just like he did.”

Tadashi let out a weak little ‘Char’ at her words, the orange lizard’s tail flame being the only light in her bedroom. Ashley reached out to stroke the little lizard’s head scales comfortingly, to reassure him that she was still here, that she’d never leave him behind.

“I know how it feels,” Ashley admitted. “You saw into my heart, what… I’ve been left behind too, by someone I used to think of as my best friend. It’s okay to feel hurt, it’s okay to feel betrayed, you’re not alone in feeling like that.”

She sighed, as her little Charmander looked up at her with widened eyes to see Understanding in her own. Tadashi looked up at her, and saw someone who knew just exactly what he’d been through, and she felt Confusion. Shock. ripple through her mind though their bond.

“You don’t have to love Damien, what he did… what Gary did… it’s unforgivable. Spending your whole life chasing after someone who’ll never acknowledge you, it’s pointless,” Ashley said, letting herself acknowledge her own hypocrisy. She still wanted Gary to know she was a strong trainer, stronger than him despite not having a famous grandfather who knew everything about Pokemon.

“Char?”

“Some people… no matter what you do, they will never… you’ll never be enough in their eyes,” Ashley said. “Gary… he makes me so mad because the world revolves around him and only him in his eyes, and everytime he gives me advice, it’s backhanded because he thinks I can’t do anything on my own. He has to make himself look better in the process, helping out a ‘weak’ trainer.”

She continued stroking Tadashi, feeling the tear stains on her pajamas. She wasn’t sure if they were her own or from Tadashi. The little lizard was holding her close, desperate for her touch and his claws gripped her shirt as if she’d slip away any moment and leave her behind.

“Damien was an idiot,” Ashley said. “He didn’t see the use in training you, because he’s an idiot. He’s an idiot because he didn’t see potential in his Pokemon, they were just trophies. Another creature to catch. Honestly…”

She chuckled.

“If he even made it to the league, he’d get absolutely destroyed because of how undertrained his Pokemon were,” Ashley said. “I learned that lesson the hard way, Misty wiped the floor with me and she’s only the second gym leader because I got so full of myself thinking I could sweep her gym just because I had an electric type.”

She’d seen, inside Tadashi’s head, another memory. Confusion. Self-worthlessness. He’d battled a Squirtle, and lost pretty badly. No, not just any Squirtle, Gary’s. 

“Typing isn’t everything,” she said. “It’s an advantage sure, but it doesn’t decide the match. Look at Hope, she was constantly on the backfoot against Cliff’s Tyrannitar, a rock type and she still managed to do damage. You’ll probably face Gary’s starter again, but you know what? You’ll win next time.”

Ashley grinned, and her Charmander, she felt Tadashi’s self confidence grow a little. She felt it. Love. But a bit of Worry as well.

“We’ll win. I promise you.”

Tadashi, she knew, wished he could believe her.

“It’s okay to feel bad sometimes, and it’s okay to be mad, yeah get angry. You’re allowed to hate Damien, after he threw you aside like trash. I want you to remember that pain, that anger, hold it tight. Let it fuel you, so you can continue to grow stronger,” Ashley said. “We’ll grow stronger together, become more than what we’ve been told to be. It’s okay, hate Damien, never forgive and never forget him. But remind yourself, he shouldn’t rule your life. Idiots are idiots, they don’t know better. We’ll work smarter, not harder.”

She felt a surge of emotions race through her mind. Love. Trust. Hope.

As she fell back to sleep, Tadashi in her arms, Ashley held him closer as those warm emotions pulled her back into a peaceful slumber.

—--

On the road again, the duo made their way to Saffron City, they noticed something rather odd. Curiously, the Pokemon Center wasn’t in the city but rather outside it. Ashley blinked in confusion before saying: “Okay, I know I’m stating the obvious here but… why is it outside the city?”

Erika looked equally surprised. “I’m not sure, but… while we’re here, let’s be careful, thing is…”

“Huh?”

“Well, the thing is, Saffron routinely ranks pretty high on gym inspections.”

“That’s great though right?” Ashley said. “So I don’t see the problem.”

“That’s just it, it’s rated consistently great. Even well-run gyms like Surge or Brock’s always receive some markdowns for something. But Sabrina’s… It’s always rated 100% every time. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

“Now that you mention it…”

As the duo drew closer Hope covered her ears and let out an unhappy cry. Ashley didn’t have to ask why, as loud music could be heard coming from the Pokemon Center. 

“Ah, I suppose that would explain it,” Erika drawled as they stepped inside. “Yes, I can see why the neighbors would complain. I feel very relaxed.”

Loud heavy metal music was blaring, heavy guitars and even louder drums, coming from an actual stage in the middle of the Center. On it, a member of the Joy clan, her normally pink hair tinged with purple highlights. Instead of her usual uniform, she wore a skull themed T-shirt and torn leather pants along with heavy combat boots. Her face was covered in piercings, and she was playing a squealing solo on a Zubat themed guitar which looked to be on fire from how fast it was being played.

Ashley and Erika facefaulted, watching her Pokemon join in. To Joy's left, was a Gothitelle with a skull jacket pounding away on the drums. To her right, a Lopunny playing heavy bass guitar, dressed in a leather jacket which was drenched in hopefully fake blood. On backup vocals, a Gardevoir in a gothic lacy spider web dress. Two Loudred were increasing the sound and a window cracked.

“Pikapi!” Hope shouted in concern as she saw Ashley’s soul leave her body.

“TWO! MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT!” the Joy shouted into the mic. “The hands that threaten doom! It's all night… Midnight, all night!”

The Joy played another guitar solo as her Gothitelle played out a heavy drum solo to close out the song.

“THANKS WE HAVE BEEN DEATH SKULL, GOOD NIGHT DETROIT!” the Joy shouted before noticing she had visitors and saying: “OH CRAP PATIENTS!”

Looking sheepish, the Joy bowed in apology. 

“Sorry we were just practicing for a gig tonight. My name’s Carrie, Carrie Joy,” she says in a sweet voice, making it hard to believe she’d been screaming her lungs out a few seconds before. “Right this way, please!”

“Please tell me you don't have a pokemergancy and are just here for a check up for your Pokemon” Carrie said nervously, looking like she wanted them out of there as soon as possible. She seemed terrified, but of what?

“YES, WE’RE ALRIGHT, JUST HERE FOR A CHECKUP!” Erika shouted, half deaf from the noise and her ears still ringing.

“Well I thought it sounded good!” Ashley shouted before getting shocked by Hope, who clearly disagreed.

“Pika…” Hope said, not even looking at Ashley, and eying the guitar like she might smash it with her Iron Tail.

Carrie still looked sheepish.

“Apologies, again. Like I said, I have a gig tonight with Roxie all the way from Virbank City in Unova and Piers from Spikemuth. It’s a whole thing, a three night festival. We’ve been practicing our butts off, hoping we’ll get signed by a producer and get a record deal. It’s alright, not many trainers come to Saffron, what with the Silph Corporation buying up much of the city for its business ventures,” she sounds bitter at this. “The fighting dojo is constantly trying to pick a fight with anyone who enters thinking it will make them an official gym and then there is Sabrina herself she scares away most trainers and well she has never actually lost an official battle. If I were you, I’d turn back now. You won’t find any gym badges here.”

Ashley grimaced. “I thought they’d be shut down and given heavy fines after working with Team Rocket.”

“Sadly, they couldn’t find any proof of the connection, meaning they got off scott free,” Carrie sighed. “Which, doesn’t surprise me. Silph is very good at covering their tracks, like everyone knows they’re corrupt but knowing isn’t the same as proving it. Anyways, I take it you’re going to face Sabrina anyways, in spite of my warnings?”

Ashley grinned. “THAT'S RIGHT I’m GONNA BE THE WORLD'S GREATEST POKEMON MASTER SO I'LL BE THE FIRST TO DEFEAT SABRINA BEFORE GARY EVEN GETS A CHANCE TO” she laughed, still shouting due to her ringing ears.

Erika sighed, and on cue, she whacked Ashley on the head with her Paper Fan of Doom. “Humility dear sister, humility.”

Ashley rubbing her head, laughed, and said: “Sorry, I’ve just gotten fired up!”

Setting their Pokeballs down, both trainers handed them over to Doctor Joy.

Carrie smiled before barking out: “ALICE, BARBARA GET OVER HERE!”

The Gothitelle and her Lopunny walked over to the counter and followed her into the back.

“ANASTASIA YOU MIND THE COUNTER WHILE I'M BUSY!”

“Garde…” the fairy type nodded. While she waited on her Pokemon to be healed after the intense battling they’d gone through lately, Ashley pulled the giant egg out of her backpack.

“Still a mystery huh? Can’t wait to meet you, little girl,” Ashley said, rubbing the egg with a soft cloth, polishing it.

“How do you know it’s a girl?”

“Just a feeling,” Ashley replied. As she rubbed the egg, she felt an odd sense of content coming from the egg, a warm happiness. “That’s all.”

“A feeling, huh?”

Anastasia floated by with a tray of snacks and set them down, the Gardevoir looking at Ashley for a brief second, letting out a soft cooing sound before heading back over to the counter.

Ashley blinked. “Wonder what that was about?

“Gardevoir are known to be rather motherly after all, she likely was praising you for taking care of that egg,” Erika said. “Maybe she knows something you don’t.”

After about an hour Carrie returns with their Pokemon. Moltenpaw was sitting on the floor loyally, licking a cartoonishly large lollipop. Carrie smiled, and said: “This little guy popped out of his ball terrified out of his mind, but I calmed him down with a little treat I always save for really good boys like him.”

Moltenpaw barked happily before going back to his lollipop.

“Look I know you probably won't listen at this point, but I’d avoid battling Sabrina if you knew what was good for you. She’s ruthless in battle and her psychic powers… they’re terrifying. Ever since she lost her parents…” Carrie closed her eyes. “She never got a chance to grow up, properly I mean. Apparently, Team Rocket tried to recruit her once when she was just a girl and well those members are still in a mental hospital as we speak. I don’t think they’ll ever recover if I’m being honest.”

Moltenpaw’s eyes bugged out upon hearing this and he runs up to his trainer, pulling at Ashley’s skirt with his paws. He was barking, whimpering, clearly thinking this was a bad idea.

Ashley gets down on her knee, to the Houndour’s level.

“Don't worry boy we will be fine, I promise we can handle her,” Ashley said rubbing his head as the fire hound let out a whimper not entirely believing her.

Hope patted molten paw on the back, and said: “Pika!” as she made a fist and pumped it.

“Hound…” he whined but resigned to his fate, knowing he can’t talk them out of it, he gave a hesitant nod.

“ALRIGHT TO MY NEXT BADGE!” Ashley declared, pointing in the direction of the gym.

Erika meanwhile, wondered if Carrie was right and if they were in over their heads.

—--

Ashley, as soon as she stepped out of the Pokemon Center and into the city proper, it hit her. She felt an overwhelming wave of sorrow rush over her, falling to her knees with a faint blue glow covering her body.

“Ashley! What’s wrong?” Erika rushed over to her adoptive sister, trying to help her up.

“Don't you feel that…?” Ashley said

“Feel what?” Erika tilted her head in confusion.

“It’s this strange sense of sorrow, it's kinda like how lately I've been sensing emotions from my team… But it’s like stronger. I mean A LOT stronger and feels a bit different like the emotions are a different flavor if that makes any sort of sense?”

“HOUUUUUUUUND!” Moltenpaw barked in alarm, picturing a large demon woman reaching down and stealing his trainer’s soul. He yanked on his ears, whining and whimpering as he tried to make himself as small as possible and tried digging a hole into the concrete.

“You can sense emotions?” Erika asked. “I… hmm, I wonder… a friend told me about this once, a girl from the Galar region. She said she feels something similar with her Lucario. It’s possible, but…”

“But what?”

“This is likely a result of your growing aura abilities. I wish I knew more about them so I could help you with this, but I know very little on the subject,” Erika admittied, sheepishly. “That being said, there’s a kingdom in Sinnoh. They train Aura users like you, famously producing aura-adept knights. Or, well, they used to. I’ve heard, rather sadly, the kingdom may not even exist anymore.”

“First I’ve heard of it…” Ashley said. “I was never that good in history classes. Anyways, I’m… Yeah, the wave’s starting to pass, but… what’s going on in this city? Why does someone feel so sad?”

“Sabrina…” Erika mused aloud. “That’s got to be her, and… yeah, between what Carrie said and what you just felt, we might want to turn back now. This sounds like a problem for Agatha and Will of the Elite 4.”

Moltenpaw stares in worry, picturing the scary lady eating Ashley’s soul. He set his sucker on the ground then puffed up his chest and then reached down grabbing his sucker, letting out a laugh and then took a big bite out of the sucker.

“I’m fine now boy,” Ashley said, as she petted Moltenpaw feeling his fear slowly ease up at the comforting motions.

Ashley got up and slapped both sides of her face. “ALRIGHT I'M NOT GONNA LET SOME WEIRD SADNESS STOP ME! HERE I COME, SABRINA!”

—--

The gym’s exterior was odd to say the least, it looked like a giant dollhouse, and standing outside it was a set of mannequins. One was dressed up like a maid and the other a cheerleader.

Ashley blinked, swearing a set of eyes was watching her. “...is it just me, or are they looking right at us?”

“They’re only mannequins, dummies, you dummy,” Erika teased. 

“Okay, I admit it’s kinda creepy but nothing I can’t handle, like if this is Sabrina trying to scare us she has to do way better! Like c’mon, step up your game girl!” Ashley laughed.

“I think it's kinda cute…” Erika said, a part of her wishing that was her in the maid costume, servicing Sabrina. 

“Erika, you’re blushing.”

“Am I?” Erika asked. “Apologies.”

That’s when both of them felt intense pairs of eyes on them, and nervously they both turned to see what had to be the entire city staring at them.

“Blink just blink damn you!” Ashley said, waving a hand in front of an older man’s face. “Helllllllllllo, anybody home?”

“I think Sabrina heard you, I think she stepped up her game,” Erika said, somewhat nervously.

Suddenly the mannequins moved all on their own, and said in unison: “Hello Ashley, and Erika. The Mistress has been expecting you, she sensed your presence the moment you stepped into her city. Welcome, please come in for a battle upon the Mistress’ request.”

And then the doors opened, all on their own.

At this, Ashley and Erika screamed at the top of their lungs and hugged each other tightly. Hope fired off Thunder Shock after Thunder Shock at the mannequins, to no avail.

Moltenpaw screamed even louder, if possible. One could swear his heart was trying to burst out from inside his mouth. He suddenly pictured the mannequins dragging his trainer off before screaming again and falling backwards in a dead faint.

“This way please,” the mannequins said, gesturing inside and moving in a very stiff, unnatural manner.

Ashley gulped before setting her shoulders. “I’m not going to back down now, I came here to get a badge and I’m leaving here with a badge.”

Ashley, dragging the rapidly protesting Moltenpaw behind her, the Houndour clawed futilely at the ground before the doors slammed shut behind him.

—--

Once again, Ashley found herself hit with that same wave of sorrow, but she pressed on in spite of that.

Inside the gym were more mannequins all dressed in different outfits. One was dressed in a teal blue dress, with platinum blonde hair. Another had dark brown hair, in a pink and white dress and another in a skintight bodysuit with golden blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail.

Another mannequin, dressed in a black leather bodysuit wearing glasses with her hair cut cropped and short. Nearby, a group of six dressed in spandex bodysuits, wearing helmets themed after dinosaurs.

Other mannequins performed a ballet, one dressed in a black boy’s school uniform while the other wore a rose-colored dress.

Erika looked around, saying: “Honestly while the outfits are beautiful the mannequins make it feel more like a haunted house than a doll house. …huh, wonder if I could pull off any of these dresses…”

Ashley is a bit crest-fallen. “I could never wear those kinds of outfits, I don’t have the figure to pull off any of them…”

She sighed, once again reminded of her still boyish figure.

The two mannequins who had led them inside, gestured stiffly to another door which again opened on its own. On either side, were two more mannequins, one tall and blonde wielding a crystal sword while the other was a wild-maned cat girl looking at the blonde adoringly.

And so, nervously, both trainers entered the next room even as the mannequins watched their every step. Once inside, the mannequins all bowed and fell to the ground inert, like puppets cut from their strings.

Sitting on a throne on the far side of the room, could only be Sabrina, dressed in a red suit. On her knee, a tiny doll version of herself, dressed in gothic lolita and holding a Pokeball. Neither Sabrina or her doll seemed to have any sign of emotion on their faces.

Erika, in spite of herself, blushed and hid it with her fan.

The sorrow was practically choking her now, but Ashley endured it. “ALRIGHT SABRINA I'M HERE TO CHALLENGE YOU! My name is-”

Before she could finish, she heard a voice in her mind, Sabrina never opening her mouth. “It’s alright, I know who you are, even if you weren’t yelling it to the whole city. My city. I’m… intrigued, you’re not like the others who’ve come before me, you’re… different.”

“Hey, what do you mean by that!” Ashley snapped.

“I apologize if it sounded like I was referring to your status as transgender. That was not what I meant by you being different. You possess… abilities. You have a special power like me, a unique gift few can understand, and you have a sorrow you hide deep in your heart,” Sabrina ‘spoke’ as she floated down from her throne to the gym floor.

Ashley is stunned silent by this.

Erika gently hugged Ashley before speaking up “H-How do you know that about her, did you read her mind?”

Sabrina shook her head. “No, I would never delve deeper than the surface of a person's mind learning your names, but when I read her mind it seems our powers got tangled up. I can now feel her emotions and she can feel mine. It’s an odd feeling, feeling emotions again besides overwhelming sorrow.”

“Then now do you explain all of the people you possessed outside?” Ashley demanded.

For the first time, Sabrina looked shocked and that’s when Ashley realized. She didn’t know. She hadn’t realized what she’d done.

“My powers… they’re growing,” Sabrina said. “I’ve always been powerful, my parents… they trained me since I was a three year old.”

“But that… That’s irresponsible, something like that… it could split your mind in half!” Erika said, stunned and frankly horrified.

“I will gladly battle you Ashley but if you are willing I would also like to make a wager with you,” Sabrina said and her doll let out a mischievous giggle.

Moltenpaw stares at the creepy glowing lady and whines

“A w-wager?” Ashley asked in confusion before looking at Erika. “Is she even allowed to do that?”

“Technically yes as long as she does not force the matter but it's rarely done as it's not exactly proper,” Erika said.

“Your dear sister figure is correct Ashley, I will battle you even if you don't agree but I trust you will rise to my challenge.” Sabrina said, as the doll giggled.

Ashley hung her head, admitting defeat. “Yeah, alright you got me there. Fine, what is your wager?”

“If I win you shall play with me for 24 hours here in my doll house and if you win I will tell you a place where you may be able to learn more about your aura abilities. They even have a festival coming up in a month, to celebrate a great man, a hero.”

Hearing that the lady wants to play with his trainer, Moltenpaw pictures her doing all kinds of horrible things to her and lets out a loud scream and starts pulling on Ashley's skirt again barking wildly. His face got all scary and his tongue came out wiggly and then he let out an evil laugh before falling over faking the dead even holding up a rose.

The doll on the throne giggles “I like your Houndour, he’s funny, maybe he can play with us too.”

Moltenpaw looks towards the reader and shook his head in a rapid fire ‘no’.

Ashley gently reached down and patted Moltenpaw on the head.

“I know you're worried about me boy but I can handle this,” she said kindly, and then turned back towards Sabrina shouting: “ALRIGHT YOU’RE ON! I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE!”

A mannequin walks up next to the gym dressed like a referee. “Alright then this will be a 4 on 4 battle between the challenger, Ashley Ketchum and the wonderful Mistress Sabrina! The challenger may substitute her Pokemon! There is no time limit! Let the battle begin!

—--

Sabrina levitates a Pokeball and tosses it “Go Anne.”

From the Pokeball appeared a Xatu, which gave out a little trill.

Ashley grabs a ball off her belt, almost instinctively and tosses it.

“Tadashi, to the battlefront!” she said, as the little lizard looked hesitant but bared his fangs anyways. Ashley could sense it through the bond. Fear, certainly, but a desire to prove himself outweighing that.

The referee shouted: “ROUND 1 FIGHT” 

“TADASHI QUICK  USE FLAMETHROWER LETS NOT EVEN GIVE HER A CHANCE TO ATTACK” Ashley shouted, as her Charmander let out a breath of flame towards the psychic-type.

“Anne, Teleport then use Psyshock,” Sabrina stated in a monotone voice. The Xatu then vanished with the Flamethrower missing her by a mile. Then, she appeared behind Tadashi, black and white orbs floating around him before slamming into him sending him sprawling.

“Char…” Tadashi growled out, having had flashbacks to his former trainer's abuse. Slowly, but surely he got up off the floor, refusing to let the one who saved him down.

Ashley bit her thumb nail, not caring how unladylike it must have seemed. “Already off to a bad start…”

“Ok let's try this. Use your Smokescreen, she can’t hit what she can’t see!” Ashley shouted.

Tadashi blew smoke from his nostrils, a thick cloud of heavy smoke filling the battlefield.

“Use Psychic and blast all the smoke away, you can detect where he is in all that! ” Sabrina stated calmly but to her shock, Ashley smirked.

“Knew you'd do something like that, Tadashi as soon as you can see her rush in with a Slash attack!” she said and as the smoke was blasted away, her Charmander rushed forward, his right claws glowing white. Striking the Xatu, his claws ripped into her hide, sending the bird backwards.

“NOW FINISH IT WITH A FLAMETHROWER!” Ashley shouted as Tadashi fired off a powerful Flamethrower

“Teleport now then go for another Psyshock,” Sabrina stated, barely showing any interest in the battle at hand. She looked almost bored actually.

“QUICKLY SPIN AROUND!” Ashley said. “Catch her in your flame!”

The Xatu vanished and Tadashi started to spin, sending flames everywhere. His opponent appeared off to the right side and was blasted by the flames but still fired off her Psyshock with both fighters floored.

“Both combatants are unable to battle. The first round is a draw but Mistress Sabrina is still great!” the referee stated.

“Gee, biased much?” Ashley snarked, sassily as she held up her fire-type, who stirred weakly. Her voice became softer, more encouraging. “You didn’t lose bud, you gave it your best shot. Sabrina’s just one tough cookie, that’s all.”

The doll on the throne booed, “BOOO BOO I call fowl, I wanted Anne to win! No fair!”

Sabrina recalled her fallen Pokemon, before enlarging another ball. This time a Luxury Ball, which she kissed.

“Barbie, take the field. Showtime!” she said, tossing the ball and out popped an Espeon who wore a tiara and had a really smug look on her face. The Sun Pokemon preened herself, staring at the challenger in disinterest as she licked her paw.

“All right next up… Haven’t used her in a bit, but she’s still just as able to battle. Gale, blow that cat away!’” Ashley said, tossing her next ball and the pidgeotto lets out a shriek of excitement flapping her wings. Gale looked back at Ashley, and she sensed nothing but loyalty through the bond. Just one look in Gale’s eyes and Ashley knew that the flying type would die for her if need be.

For a moment, she was somewhere else. Someone else, a kind voice escaping her lips. “It’s okay old friend, you got me this far…”

A battle, two opposing armies fought beneath ‘her’ in a gorge. The massive Pidgeot looked to someone else, someone she couldn’t quite see before Ashley was back in the Saffron Gym.

“Woah, talk about a headrush…” she mused even as Gale landed next to Barbie and extended a friendly wing.

“GETTO GETTO!” she chirped, holding her wing out to shake.

Barbie just turned her nose up at the bird viewing her as beneath her.

“PIDGE!” Gale’s beak hung open and she had tears in her eyes. Gale flew back to her end of the battlefield and flapped up a dust storm threateningly.

“Don't let her get to you girl. You’re a great bird if she dont want to be your friend, well that's on her. She doesn’t know what she’s missing,” Ashley said, soothingly stroking her flying-type’s head-feathers. The bird let out a happy trill.

“ROUND 2 FIGHT!” the referee declares 

“Start things off with a Quick Attack!” As per her trainer’s instructions, Gale rushed forward at high speed.

“Use Fake Tears,” Sabrina instructed and Barbe started to cry. Gale stopped mid-attack and rubbed a soothing wing on the Espeon’s back letting out sympathetic chirps.

Ashley, Hope, Erika and Sabrina’s doll in unison all mass facepalmed.

“Now use Psybeam,” Sabrina instructed. Poor Gale was hit point blank with a rainbow beam smashing into the ceiling, and then dropping to the ground like a sack of rocks.

The referee stared closely and got ready to call it but Gale rose up, now fighting mad.

“GEOTTO GEOTTO!” she ranted pointing a wing at the rather stuck-up Sun Pokemon.

“Yeah you tell that spoiled princess! Gale you're not gonna lose to her! NOW USE QUICK ATTACK AGAIN!”

Gale bursts off and this time slammed into the Espeon, sending her flying. Her trainer then called out: “Use Psychic and throw that bird out of the ring.”

Barbie while in the air has her eyes flash and Gale was tossed outside of the ring slamming into a wall. She fell face first on the floor but struggles to her feet and walks forward weakly.

“TOASTY!” the announcer shouted.

“Pidg… Pid…” Gale trilled.

“I’m sorry girl but a ring out is a loss,” Ashley said, gently hugging the flying type. “Take a rest, you’ve earned it.”

“YAY YAY!” the doll cheers from the throne. “Go Barbie you showed that silly old bird!”

“Alright you're up Moltenpaw,” she said to the poor dog who was nervous but nodded anyway. He walked into the ring, trying to give his best growl as he glared at the pink cat.

“ROUND 3 FIGHT!”

“Open things up with an Ember!” Ashley said, and Moltenpaw barked, letting loose a barrage of flaming pellets.

“Protect.” Sabrina said, in monotone.

A powerful barrier shot up blocking the attack,

Moltenpaw whines, lowering his head ashamed at his failure. “Dour dour…”

“”It’s alright boy, just rush forward and use Bite!”

Moltenpaw ran, his teeth sharpening and glinting like steel. Lunging, he bit down on Barbie, just as the barrier went down.

The spoiled, stuck-up Espeon yowled in pain.

“NOW WHILE YOU GOT A GOOD GRIP ON HER… EMBER, AGAIN!” the point blank Ember causes an explosion to go off enveloping both Pokemon.

Moltenpaw stumbled out of the smoke charred black and let out a barking laugh as he shook off the soot. Meanwhile Barbie was passed out in a small crater. 

“Mistress Sabrina's Pokemon is unable to battle, and the challenger wins!” the announcer said, sounding rather annoyed by that.

“BOO BOO SHE CHEATED SHE CHEATED!” the doll rants hopping up and down on the throne

“HEY I DIDN'T CHEAT! NOW YOU SHUT UP!” Ashley shouted back at the doll.

“DID TO!” the doll stuck her tongue out

Erika facepalmed. “Ashley your arguing with a talking doll, so just ignore her...”

“I think it's time I end this farce, this is just sad. I’ll be sending out my strongest Pokemon, and then we can all have playtime together! He’s the amazing, fantastical, super-fabulo… well you get the idea. Go Randi!” Sabrina said, and she tossed another Pokeball and out popped a Kadabra with a magicians hat and cape on.

“KADABRA!” he says before giving a polite bow, the fox-like Pokemon swishing his cape.

Moltenpaw looked up at the frightening Pokemon that had just been sent out. He whimpered and looked just about ready to go back to his ball.

“ROUND 4 FIGHT!” the referee declared.

The Kadabra stared at Moltenpaw and he couldn’t take it, far too frightened and scared out of his mind. He let out a bug-eyed scream and ran behind Ashley’s legs, cowering.

“The challenger's Pokemon has left the ring forfeiting the match meaning the round goes to Mistress Sabrina!” the referee said, waving a flag in Sabrina’s direction as the Doll clapped.

Moltenpaw clutched Ashley's leg still shaking and whimpering and she gently kneeled down stroking his head. “It's ok it's ok… I know, he’s pretty scary isn’t he? It’s alright, I’m not mad.”

Randi for his part, looked actually sad he’d scared off the poor dog.

The Doll pouted and said: “Daww, poor puppy the offer to play still stands though!”

“You get a good rest, I know, scary lady and scary Pokemon. Psychic types are weird, just rest up,” Ashley soothed, recalling the dark-type. “Hope, I know it looks bad right now but we’ve come too far to quit. I said we’d be leaving with a badge and I won’t break that promise!”

Hope nodded, leaping off Ashley’s shoulder as she turned her hat backwards and threw out her arm.

“Alright,” Ashley declared. “Let’s have a Ketchum Time!”

“ROUND 5 FIGHT!” the reference announced.

—--

The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Neither opponent seemed eager to make the first move. But then, like a thunderbolt breaking through the sky, the storm broke.

“HOPE USE AGILITY AND QUICK ATTACK DO NOT STAND STILL FOR EVEN A MOMENT!” Ashley shouted.

Hope ran, faster than the eye could see as she made dozens of afterimages behind her in her wake.

Sabrina and Randi just stood there, staring calmly.

After a moment, Sabrina locked eyes with Hope and calmly, she said: “Psybeam.”

The rainbow beam knocked Hope into the air, the little mouse frailing helplessly.

Ashley felt a familiar surge of power as her aura kicked in, time seeming to slow down. “You’ve got your powers, I’ve got mine.”

She felt Hope’s determination to win rush through her bond, and sent a command through the tether between the two of them.

Hope rocketed forwards, the little mouse like a speeding bullet as she left behind copies of herself. 

“Psybeam again,” Sabrina said in her usual monotone, eyes glowing with psychic power.

This time however, Ashley could see the attack coming.

“Hope, Iron Tail and knock that Psybeam away,” she said, Hope’s tail glowing silver and slammed it into the beam smashing up against it.

“Piiiiiiikaaaaaaaa!” Hope cried, as the Kababra stumbled.

“NOW SPARK AND QUICK ATTACK COMBO!” Ashley said, watching Hope glow golden with electric sparks. Darting forwards, she rammed Randi, the fox flinching.

“CLIMB ON TO HIS BACK AND GRAB ONTO HIS MUSTACHE!” Hope, knowing her trainer’s odd strategies by now, didn’t even hesitate. “NOW THUNDER SHOCK! Full power!”

“Pika!” Hope cried, coating Randi in golden lightning ripping up the gym floor.

“Dabra…” Randi groaned out, fur smoking slightly.

“Psychic,” Sabrina said, with her Kadabra reaching out and grabbing ahold of Hope before throwing her into the ground.

Ashley stumbled back, as if she’d been hit as well. “What was…”

Erika’s eyes widened in alarm.

Hope staggered to her feet, cheeks sparking and building up her electricity and she grinned cockily.

“Hope is that… alright! Now let’s show her some real power. Hope… THUNDERBOLT!”

“PIKACHUUUUUU!” Hope cried, letting the jagged bolt fly.

“Teleport.” Sabrina, unfazed, calmly said with the Thunderbolt whiffing.

“IRON TAIL, QUICK TO YOUR LEFT!” Ashley said, with Hope quickly flipping to the left slamming into Randi’s side. “NOW THUNDERBOLT AGAIN!”

“PIKACHUUUUUUU!” Hope cried, letting the Kadabra have it point blank, his hat and cape burning away.

“DAAAAABRAAAAAA!” Randi cried out in pain. 

“Psyshock,” Sabrina instructed, never losing her cool and her voice never rising above a monotone.

The black and white orbs appeared around Hope and Ashley in alarm, shouted: “Evade, quickly!”

But the attack was just too fast, the orbs knocking Hope backwards.

“Pika… Pika…” Hope panted, getting to her feet.

Ashley knew it, they’d lost this battle and the wager but even so… She refused to give in, if they were going to lose, they were going down fighting. “Alright… Hope, let’s show her what we’re made of. Give it everything you have left, make it a spectacular one! Hope… Thunderbolt!”

“PIKACHUUUUUUUUUUUUU” Hope shouted putting everything she had left into this one.

“Psybeam,” Sabrina said, and Randi fired his attack with it colliding in midair with Hope’s fury.

Ashley once again feels herself sliding back but it was a lot stronger this time. “What is this? It's as if I’m feeling everything Hope does… is that it? Is Sabrina’s psychic powers making our minds meld, making us one?”

“Chhhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”/“Dadabra!” 

Both Pokemon gave it their all, and for a brief moment Ashley wondered if she was seeing things. Hope’s cheeks turned blue, and her fur became darker, and spikier but in an instant the sight was gone and Hope was falling to the floor and Ashley felt herself stumbling with her.

“The winner is Mistress Sabrina, as if there was ever any doubt.”

“YAY! I KNEW IT WE WON WE WON!” the Doll now dancing on the throne.

Erika rushed over to Ashley, looking panicked for her little sister. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m… well I’ve been better but how ‘bout you little buddy?”

Hope let out a weak ‘Pika…’ in her arms.

Sabrina walked forward, saying: “I admit, I enjoyed that battle. It’s been awhile since I’ve had any sort of challenge. But, a loss is a loss and now you have to hold up your end of the bargain.”

The Doll cheered as she floated forwards, chanting out: “Playtime playtime playtime!”

Erika looks between her sister and her secret crush, slightly worriedly with her mind going to places she was ashamed of. “What kind of playtime do you have in mind?”

“Tea parties, video games and more importantly dolls and dressing up!” Sabrina said, actually speaking aloud and briefly the feeling of sorrow that’d been enveloping Ashley since she stepped foot in the city vanished. “I have so many cute outfits for her to wear!”

Recomposing herself, Sabrina raised an eyebrow and asked: “Why, were you thinking of some other kind of play? She’s only 14, I’m not that kind of girl.”

“N-N-No just asking out of curiosity is all!” Erika stammered out, quickly backpedaling. “Anyways, as her sister, I feel I should be involved as well.”

Ashley shook her head. “No, this is my loss as I made that bet. I have to take responsibility for it. Besides, I need you to drop off my Pokemon at the center, let them rest.”

“Now you choose the time to be responsible?” Erika shouted, afraid for her dear sister as Hope let out a fearful squeak.

“Hope, please I know you're worried about me but you're injured…” As she says this hope dives into Erika’s bag and comes out holding a potion and a bottle of ketchup. Drinking both dry, she flexed her arms.

“YAY MOUSEY WANTS TO PLAY TOO!” the Doll hugged Hope tightly, with the mouse looking like she was regretting this decision.

Erika sighed, and nodded. 

“I’ll see you soon… Please, be careful.”

Chapter Text

“A mission from the boss,” Jessie said excitedly, the TRio’s hot air balloon drifting over the fields of Kanto. “James, do you have any idea what this means?”

“More dangerous work?” James said, as she fed more fire to the burner. “Because we keep getting blasted off by a Pikachu, Jess. I’m not sure we’re really qualified for more dangerous work. It’s got to be a prank, the boss doesn’t just hand out missions to two lowly grunts like us.”

“No no, I checked, that’s the boss’s handwriting right there,” Jessie said, shoving the paper in front of James’ face, the message having been delivered by Abra. “Like this is a personal question from Giovanni himself! You can’t just fake that!”

“You sure it’s not telling us that we’re fired? That he isn’t just handing us our termination papers?” Nyasu snarked. “Because I don’t know if either of youse remember, but we haven’t been doing very good jobs as of late.”

“No no, Nyasu, it’s all right here,” Jessie said, showing him the letter next. As the Meowth read over it, the red-haired woman danced around in glee. “The boss, he’s finally taken notice of our talents! Actual recognition from the top! HA! Take that Cassidy, in your face!”

“Yeah yeah, I’m sure she’s envious of you now, especially when she usually gets all the hard jobs anyways,” Nyasu snarked. “But it’s all in there, it’s legit and Jess is right, the boss does have a request for us. If we keep getting jobs like this, then I’ll finally be top cat and replace that smug little Persian he always keeps around! Sorry toots, but your time is up!”

“He just wants us to follow around that Twerpette and her Pikachu, how has that gone well for us lately?” James pointed out. “Every time we even get near that girl, disaster!”

“Well, 3rd time’s the charm right?”

“Or 14th,” Nyasu drawled. “But, a mission’s a mission so full steam ahead I guess. That little Twerpette’s gone ahead to Saffron, dat’s right?”

“Saffron?” James asked nervously. “Did you say Saffron?”

“Why, you got an ex there?” Nyasu snarked.

“No, it’s just… you’ve heard the rumors right? That gym leader…” James shivered. “They say she’s a witch, that she’s not human. It’s just… maybe we should wait?”

“No James, this is our chance to shove it into Domino and Cassidy’s smug faces! Full speed ahead, James! We’re going to capture that little electric rat and all of the other pokemon that Twerpette has if it’s the last thing we do!”

—--

Ashley, and Hope stood before Sabrina, neither really sure what to even say. Deciding to just get on with it, and sucking in a breath, Ashley tried to look the creepy older girl in the eye. Still rather understandably nervous, Ashley finally spoke up, asking: “Alright Sabrina, so uh… what do you want to do first?”

Sabrina smiled, and honestly it was a little weird for Ashley at first having seen the girl keep a mostly neutral expression on her face since she’d gotten here. “I think a good old fashioned tea party is the best way to start off. Follow me, please.”

Ashley turned to look at Hope, mouthing ‘a tea party?’ with Hope shrugging, as Sabrina floated off still carrying her creepy doll.

Ashley followed along, somewhat reluctantly with Hope perched on her shoulder, and as they walked they passed by more mannequins dressed in a variety of costumes, one set is a group dressed in multi-coloured sailor suits.

She then passed by one she actually recognized, namely a female knight with long scarlet hair. “...hey, wait, I watched this show as a kid. …She was always so beautiful, so powerful, I… you know in hindsight I wanted to be her, I always felt so jealous of her and oh maybe I should have taken it as a sign...”

Before Ashley could muse any further on that, Sabrina’s voice passed through her head, asking: “You coming dear?”

“GAH! Sorry Sabrina! Coming,” Ashley hurriedly apologized, and rushed to catch up with the gym leader who stopped before a door.

“Please come in,” Sabrina floated inside and just as Ashley was about to follow in after her, Sabrina let out a shout.

“OH CRAP!” and her voice was so loud, it left Ashley’s ears ringing even as the door was slammed shut in her face.

“Ow!” Ashley said, rubbing her nose. “Hey, what’s the big idea, huh?”

“Pika!” Hope shook a fist at the door, her cheeks still sparking even as tired as she was from the battle.

From inside, they could hear Sabrina panicking, asking: “Dolly why didn't you take these things down? It would be super awkward if she saw these…”

She could hear the sound of posters rapidly being ripped off the walls, with the doll letting out a giggle saying: “Hehehehehe, but I was with you all day so when could I have done all of that?”

After a few more minutes of frantic noises, Sabrina eventually returned. She quickly hid a look of embarrassment and returned to her usual neutral expression. “Apologies if you heard any of that, I had to… take care of something.”

Ashley hesitantly entered the room, Sabrina discreetly kicking a box to the side. “Uh, is everything ok?”

“Oh yes, I just had to… put some things away,” Sabrina said after a moment of pause, and then motioned Ashley towards a small table. Pulling up a chair, she said: “Please, come and sit.”

Ashley sat down as hope Hopped into an empty chair. The Doll floated down and sat in another chair, a plush Furfrou by her side with Sabrina turning to kindly smile and ask: “Now what kind of tea does everyone want?”

Ashley stared at the creepy doll, swearing it was looking into her soul, really not wanting to play with it. She swore it smiled at her, with a strange sort of look in her eyes despite that being completely impossible. Her nerves finally getting the better of her, she shouted: “HEY HOLD ON! I agreed to play with you, Sabrina not the doll!”

Sabrina stepped back in shock, stammering out: “Well uh, that uh…” her usual emotionless expression completely shattered.

The doll floated upwards and Ashley would swear to her dying day that briefly another smile was on the doll’s face but when looking again, nope the doll’s face remained unchanged. 

“Go on,” the doll said as she gently pushed Sabrina forward, giggling cheerfully which made it even creepier if Ashley was to be honest. “You heard her, now you have to play today.”

Sabrina hesitantly sat down at the table, and Ashley wondered just who was in control here. Sabrina, or her doll. Who was really the master of the house? “R-right…”

“So yes uh what kind of tea would you 2 lovely ladies like,” Sabrina asked nervously, clearly not used to speaking to real people instead of her doll doing the talking for her.

“Uh well to be honest I’ve not really drank that much tea,” Ashley said, while nervously rubbing the back of her head. “Professor Oak does, whenever he’s writing his haikus so I’ve always thought it as an old person’s drink ehehehe…”

“Oh well, I’ll see if I can change your mind. Erika, she drinks and brews her own tea, from what I’ve heard… She’s a woman of many talents, a true artisan they say even if I’ve never had the courage to leave my house…” Sabrina said, looking a little sad. “Not since…”

She closed her eyes, the kind of look Ashley recognized whenever her mom was trying not to think of bad memories. And for a brief moment, Ashley wondered just what could possibly be so terrible to make Sabrina that afraid of the outside world and intent on being stuck in her childhood for this long.

That’s when she remembered something the local Joy had said. Team Rocket, they’d tried to take her away as a child. Recruit her even. And Ashley swallowed realizing she hadn’t seen Sabrina’s parents at all despite her easily being sixteen to seventeen years old.