"Well, James? How near are we?"
"I think the exit's just a bit further south and then… Oh, we should have brought Growlie! He'd be able to light our way through this stupid tunnel!"
"Quiet, or you'll wake the Zubat… we don't want that, do we?"
The two shivered. They'd already had to flee from hordes of Zubat no fewer than three times, they did not fancy having to do so again.
The problem was, they were in Rock Tunnel. Which, as anyone familiar with the geography of Kanto will know, is pitch black. They were navigating largely by guesswork and slightly via infrared, thanks to Jessie and her Arbok.
"Well, any more bright ideas, James? Perhaps next time we battle the twerp while directly underneath a powerline?"
James perked up. "Yeah, that might work, actually. The powerline would draw the electric attacks and-"
BAM!
Jessie knocked James to the floor. "And then we collapse it on us, or Magnemite try and beat us because we messed up their power source, or the ground caves in or something. We have terrible luck, remember?"
James was about to retort, when a fluttering noise was heard in the distance. He flinched in an almost Pavlovian reaction
"Oh…"
"Oh, no…"
"We didn't, did we?" James slumped to the floor in defeat.
Jessie pursed her lips. "Actually… I don't think so. Look at the time."
James pressed the button on his expensive watch (He claimed it was a holdover from his time as a rich kid. Jessie suspected he'd stolen it from his room when they picked up Growlie last week, which technically counted) and checked the lit up display. "Looks like it's the evening. So?"
"So? So? Zubat fly outside at night! We can follow them!"
"Oh, I see. Clever. Weezing," James sent out the only Pokémon he had at the moment, "Go the direction Arbok's going. Arbok, follow the bats. Jessie, you and I can grab onto Weezing and that way we'll know where to go!"
Though they spent almost as much time being chased by the Zubat as vice versa, they did eventually stagger outside into the evening light, north of Lavender Town.
"Next time, we take the balloon!" Jessie ranted.
"Well, how was I to know that Rock Tunnel wouldn't be lit up like Mount Moon is?"
"Okay, this is the place," James looked up from his guidebook, "The map note said there were interesting Pokémon around here, which will be a help."
Jessie snorted. "Tell me about it. We're just a bit specialized, aren't we?"
"We're more diverse than most Rocket teams, we have a fire type!"
Jessie looked sidelong at her teammate. "That's all very well for the grunts, but we're Admins now. Remember Domino's trio, back when they were low Admins?"
"Oh, yeah… Roselia, wasn't it? And her old team had an Exeggutor and a… Farfetch'd, right?"
Jessie shivered. "That lot were freaky… the girl threw roses, the boy carried a bokken and called himself the "Blue Thunder", and the father had a palm tree on his head and didn't shut up about the Orange Islands. There's working with your Pokémon and then there's going completely mental, you know?"
James nodded. "When Team Kuno broke up, Domino got so much more sensible, it was amazing…"
"Anyway! Keep a lookout, this trip has a purpose and don't you forget it!"
"Sure thing, Jess-!"
James tripped over something.
Jessie rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "James, for gods' sakes, I just said – oh, what's this?"
James scrambled to his feet to see what he'd tripped over, and was startled to find it was a sleeping Abra.
"Well, not how I guessed we'd find the first possible catch… I suppose that maybe we should…?" Jessie tailed off.
James nodded, but fumbled as he took his new Poké ball – a Luxury Ball, similar to the ones they'd earlier decanted their others into - out of the bag. He dropped it, in fact, completely losing his grip.
With a flash, the Abra materialized below the descending ball and was promptly caught.
The Rockets stared dumbfounded at the ball. James eventually broke the silence. "Well, that's one way to ask…"
Jessie nodded, before motioning for James to pick up the ball. "Now we've done that, we still have to look for a new Pokémon for me, remember? And we have to get back to Cerulean as well, which will take ages…"
Or I could take you there in a second.
James jumped. "Gah! Voices in my head!"
It's me, dumbass. The Abra that you just 'caught', get it? I'm p-s-y-c-h-i-c. Means I can read minds, communicate telepathically and, just incidentally, teleport the lot of us to wherever.
Jessie looked contemplative. "That's… really cool, actually. Any limits?"
I need coordinates of some description or other, either a memory or an accurate map reference. GPS should do on that score. And I can't manage teleports between regions… but I can do it pretty often, and when it's just myself I can be all over the place. Not that I want to, though, too much effort.
"Too much effort? Are you lazy or something?"
It's genetic. I'm an Abra, not a Vigoroth.
"Fair enough, you did volunteer after all. So, Jessie, any ideas?"
Jessie considered. "I think a type advantage for once would be nice."
"Sounds good. Hey, Abra! Anything nearby that might qualify?"
Third tree from the left of the signpost pointing the way to Saffron City, now shut it, I was asleep.
The two Rockets looked at the Poké ball in something akin to awe. "He fell asleep in that short a time?"
"Truly he is the slacker god."
James pressed the mute button on the controls of the Luxury Ball, to let his newest Pokémon sleep. "Well, we best be over there. Weezing!"
Jessie sent out her own Arbok, and they moved carefully towards the indicated tree, senses alert for whatever they would find.
What they found was a small, reptilian Pokémon shivering with terror as it stared at the Arbok transfixing it with a stare, the fear in the youngster's eyes evident even through the bone sockets she was looking through.
Yes, it was a Cubone.
Jessie smiled slightly. "Looks like the little sweetie is scared…"
The Cubone glanced round at her, and then smacked Jessie's Arbok into the ground hard enough to leave a dent.
Her smile grew. "Well, I like her attitude!"
James groaned. "Sometimes I don't like your attitude…"
Jessie chose to ignore that. "Well, little one? Want to come with us?"
Cubone cocked her head to one side, thinking it over. Arbok woozily rose back up from the ground, and frantically shook his head at Jessie. Cubone noticed this, stuck her tongue out at the snake and jumped into Jessie's arms.
Arbok sighed. Just his luck, the two new members of the team could both beat him up by type advantage. Ah well, at least he was back with Jessie after all those years apart. Why had he ever left? Even if she made dubious decisions now and then, she was generally pretty awesome.
He noticed Weezing laughing at him. Most wouldn't notice as it sounded like laboured breathing, but when you know a mon…
"Oh, shut up. Levitate isn't perfect, you know."
Ash and co. set up on a wooded hill for the night. They'd planned to find a clearing, but the night was rainy and it was easier to just stay under the trees that they'd encountered for the past day or so, leaving the Hidden Village where they'd picked up Bulbasaur and celebrated Ash's eleventh birthday… well, physically at least. But reuniting with his first one of the normal Kanto starters had been a great 'present', he'd been through more with Bulbasaur than almost any other Pokémon short of Pikachu.
Ash privately suspected that last time they'd been too horribly lost to know what day it was. They had, after all, managed somehow to travel from Cerulean to Vermillion without passing through Saffron, which had to mean something was up. And… wait a minute…
Ash flipped open the Pokédex. "Could you give me a map of the Kanto region, please, with Bill's Lighthouse and the major cities marked on?"
Of course.
Ash traced out a path with his finger. "That's just silly… last time we actually went north?"
Looks like it.
"Er… where did we pick up Charmander again?"
Another blip appeared on the map, followed by a 'you are here' symbol.
Yep. Somewhere near Route 24. That's due north of Cerulean City, whereas you're currently somehow to the west.
Ash sighed. "Arceus above, we really suck at finding our way."
True. I recommend doing aerial reconnaissance tomorrow.
"Sounds good."
Ash lay back under the waterproof canopy and sighed. The only disadvantage of time travel was that all the getting lost from the first time happened again.
Or at least it did if you were Ash.
Pikachu wandered over. Unlike most of the rest (though like Misty's Pokémon) he had little trouble with the rainstorm and had been enjoying the way his power flowed more precisely in the beating rain. He had been using it to get in a bit of practice aiming Discharge so it didn't hit certain places – he thought a radial pulse variant of Shockwave was in the offing.
"So, what's happening tomorrow?"
"As I recall, we should meet Charmander fairly soon. Probably the day after tomorrow, though."
"Heh, yeah. He was a real trooper, wasn't he? Even back then, he sat on that rock for days waiting for that jerk Damian."
Ash's face went chalk white. "Days? CRAP!"
"What's wr-oh. Oh, no."
Ash fumbled out of his sleeping bag and lunged for his pack, throwing it around one shoulder even as he snatched the Pokédex with the other hand. He grabbed his third ever Pokémon and threw the ball on the run, jumping astride Pidgeot before she had properly materialized. "Pidgeot! North and east, fast! 'Dex, give me a more precise location, please!"
Bearing 027, thirty miles.
Brock and Misty jerked awake in their own sleeping bags as a rippling BOOM filled the trees. Neither had heard it often, but it was the almost unmistakeable sound of something going transonic very nearby.
"What the hell was that? Brock, is Crobat having fun with Mimic again?"
Brock looked equally confused. "No, he's asleep, or was… Do you think that was Ash?"
Misty made a disapproving sound. "Well, if it was, I hope he understands how inconsiderate he's being!"
It was cold. It was wet. It was raining.
These three facts were all that filled the mind of a certain thoroughly miserable Lizard Pokémon, curled up on a rock in the driving rain.
Damian will come. I'm sure of it.
He sneezed as the rain infiltrated his sinuses, before blowing a little flame onto the rock beneath him to keep safe the refuge for his tail flame.
He'll come. He has to.
Inquisitive Spearow were starting to circle once more. Charmander sent them scattering again with an Ember, but he was running low on energy. They didn't flee as far as they had before.
Damian… where are you? I've become stronger, haven't I? I've stayed out here waiting for you, no food, no protection from the elements, for three days… I wish I knew how much it will take. For you to consider me worthy.
He was feeling sleepy. He didn't want to go to sleep, he might miss Damian's arrival… but it didn't feel as cold, when he was asleep.
Maybe… just a few minutes…
He slipped into grey and black half-sleep, his wariness of letting his tiny tail flame flop into the rain all that staved off deep slumber.
Charmander gradually realized that falling asleep would be a really bad idea, but he couldn't focus enough to consider what to do.
…I'm sorry, Damian. I wasn't strong enough.
"There!"
What's that? Am I imagining things?
A rushing wind, a thump, the sense of cradling arms.
"He's freezing! Butterfree, I don't care what it does to the weather patterns, give us some clear skies!"
The rain's impacts on his scales began to peter out.
I suppose it's a pleasant dream to have, being rescued. But I feel afraid it's too late to be a convincing hope…
He returned to bleary awareness what felt like seconds later, but since an intense sun was beating down on him, Charmander assumed he'd spent hours in a comatose state.
"Ah, good! You're awake!"
Charmander rolled onto a side, looking at the speaker. He found that it was a Bulbasaur standing next to a trio of Pokéballs, only one of them with the indicator light that denoted it being full.
"Who are you?"
Bulbasaur looked saddened by the question for a moment, before replying. "I'm just called by my species name, like most of Ash's Pokémon. I have experience taking care of sick Pokémon, so I volunteered to watch over you while Ash went to look for some berries with Butterfree." Charmander looked lost. "Ah, sorry. Ash is my trainer and the one who saved you last night. He barely got to you in time, your flame was all but invisible."
Bulbasaur broke off for a second and concentrated, blasting away the few wisps of cloud that were beginning to form. "There we go, best thing for a recovering Fire type. Intense sunlight and sunbathing, if nothing better is available. Oh, that reminds me."
Charmander's caretaker lifted up a faintly glowing blue leaf in his prehensile vines and dropped it onto the lizard's tail flame, producing a flare in response.
"Few more magical leaves and you should be much better."
Charmander rubbed his brow, confused. "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?"
A new voice piped up. "Because we're concerned, that's all. You deserve better than dying in the rain."
Butterfree had returned, bearing a Yache berry in his feet. He dropped it in front of their patient. "Eat up. It raises body temperature, it's exactly what you need."
Behind the Bug was a large shape that Charmander assumed was the human they spoke of, this "Ash".
He'd think about that later. For now, it was time to recover his strength.
"Charmander… I want to tell you something."
Charmander looked around, startled. He'd got much more into eating than he had thought, clearly, if this human had got that close without his noticing.
"This is going to sound strange, probably unbelievable, but…" Ash smiled gently. "This isn't the first time we've met. It's just the first this time around."
You're right, that is unbelievable. What are you even talking about, time travel?
Ash crouched down, took out a small red box and flipped it open. "That's you."
Charmander inspected the picture carefully. There was the tiny, almost invisible scar on the tail… there was the eye fleck… everything about the picture was incredibly familiar. It was good evidence, to be sure.
The device spoke as the picture changed. This is also you.
Charmander now looked astonished. That was… certainly not a Charmander. This person was saying that in the future he would evolve into a Charizard? That he wasn't too weak, too feeble to ever manage such a thing? But Damian had said he needed toughening up… was that right instead? Was it the toughening that led to this evolution?
The human was now looking strangely sad. "I have a certain power. If you want, you can be… sort of reminded of what happened to the Charmander I remember. To the… you I remember. But I'd never do it without your permission."
Ash sank to the floor, sitting on a tree stump. "So, what do you think?"
"Grrrh, that Ash! I swear he does it to annoy us!"
Misty forced her way through yet another bramble bush, in the direction Pikachu had been pointing that morning. They were trying to find the wayward member of their party, but unfortunately he'd shot off practically directly between the two easiest paths in the area - and this had led to the current circumstance. Brock and Misty using the Pewter man's heavy hitters to break trail through increasingly hostile terrain, while Pikachu and Riolu made some pretence of scouting despite their anxiety over Ash.
"If it wasn't bad enough that we got lost barely two days travel form my home town, we turn out to be lost in the same way as before. And we all know what that means, we'll take two weeks to make a three day trip. And if we take two weeks, then we don't have time to detour back to Cerulean to grab the particular Magikarp I need, much less see if Ash can evolve it, and that means… grrah! I hate being this specialized! I used to have a Corsola, a Dewgong, a Togekiss! Now all it takes to beat me is a grass or electric type!"
Misty continued ranting for a few more minutes, then calmed down slightly. "Ah well, at least you share my pain, right, Brock?"
Brock cast around desperately for something to divert Misty from remembering that he was in line to have bug, grass, water, fighting, normal and fire types in the course of their journey, many of them in the next year. "Uh…"
He was saved by Pikachu and Riolu suddenly starting to shout, jumping up and down on their tree branch with such energy it looked like it might break.
Misty looked interested. "Well? What is it? Where did Ash go? Is he coming back?"
Brock glanced through his binoculars, then lowered them. "See for yourself."
With a mighty roar and a pair of slamming wingbeats, Charizard triumphantly landed before them in a clearing of his own making, Ash laughing and waving from his grip on the fire type's neck.