Pallet Town, Kanto Region - 0654 hours local time
Ash awoke as the sun began to rise, his rest being filled with nothing but nightmares. Still, he wouldn't have any more after today. Pikachu would make sure of that. Still, he had a problem at the moment. That being something was holding him down. There were two people, one of them being Belladonna, holding onto him. She really wanted to make sure he was ok.
Still, the second one was a young man, about three years younger then Ash, with dark brown hair, almost black, looking much like him, only without the marks on his face. The headaches came a moment later, along with knowledge of the boy's identity: Red. His little brother. Apparently, Ash and Belladonna were his heroes, Belladonna being the first to go through two leagues while Ash served as a moral inspiration for him, showing him how to care for Pokemon and trying to make sure he was a kind trainer.
But why were they here? Ash shifted a little, with little Red latching onto him. "Don't go." the 11-year old all-but-demanded. Ash could understand: he was the big brother, the rock for the family. Red and Yellow needed him and Belladonna because their father… wasn't there. Oh, if he ever found that bastard this time, he was going to make him go home: one doesn't start a family and just leave. Even he knew that: it was why he was never going to do what he did. Even if it broke his heart, he would never subject the women he had grown to love to that torture.
But that was beside the point as he hugged his little brother back. "I have to go." Ash said to Red, even as he rubbed his little brother's back comfortingly. 'The world apparently needs me to mop up its' messes.' he thought sardonically. Red started to cry, clinging tighter before another pair of arms wrapped around Red. "There, there, little brother." soothed Belladonna as she pried her youngest brother from his vice grip on Ash, allowing him to get out. "I'll pack up your stuff. Go to the lab, Ash."
Ash didn't need to be prompted any further. He had been away from Pikachu far too long already. He needed to grab his starter and find the rest of the family and make sure they were safe. Which explained why Ash didn't bother looking back, much to the confusion of his siblings.
Oak Laboratory - 0704 hours local time
Samuel Oak knew this was going to happen, so he hid all but one starter pokeball. THe last one, he handed over to his grandson. "Gramps, I gotta ask…" Gary Oak started as his grandfather hid the filled Pokeballs and replaced them with empty ones. "Why are you hiding the other starters?" The elder Oak looked at his grandson sternly, scaring the younger man. Perhaps this was to be expected: after all, while Gary was his grandson, Ash was the more favored of his pupils, mostly because while knowledge was important, bonding with Pokemon was infinitely more so, especially in these trying times.
"Gary, I want you to listen very closely." the famed professor said as Gary collapsed the ball into its' storage state and clipped it to his belt. "If you see Ash, tell him that he woke up late and all of the normal starters are gone." "But… why?" Gary asked, confused. Why would he have to lie, especially to Ash? Sure, Gary was an arrogant ass at times and he knew it, but he thought of Ash as a friend first and rival second. When he didn't have his ego inflated, but a visit to Aunt Delia often popped those like a Jigglypuff getting hit with an crossbow bolt. She was a really nice lady… when you didn't make her mad.
Then she became a rampaging monster and your options boiled down to 'run, do not walk, in the opposite direction' and 'stand, fight, die/be completely humiliated'. Metaphorically speaking, of course: Delia didn't kill people as far as Gary knew. She just made them wish for it without even hurting them. His grandfather called it the 'Garek Effect' for some reason. But back to the point at hand as Samuel gripped his shoulders, the older man's eyes boring into his soul. "Do. Not. Tell. Him. Do I make myself clear?" Oak all but demanded before Gary nodded as if he were a bobblehead.
The older Oak let him go before grabbing his grandson's Pokedex and handing it to him. "Try not to catch everything that you see." the scientist all but begged. "Just because I have Pokemon that can use Grassy Terrain and have small animals I can give the more carnivorous ones to feed on doesn't mean my resources are infinite." He had to import thousands of mice and rabbits to feed Pokemon like Charmander and Ekans. Fortunately for him, there were places in the world that wanted them gone. Still didn't mean he could afford thousands of new Pokemon in the ranch. A few dozen, maybe.
Gary gave his cocky grin. "I'll try not to, but I make no promises." he said as he prepared to leave the lab. "I mean it, Gary." Oak warned. "Any extra feeding expenses will come from your pocket until I can get more food plants and actually set up a breeding program for the rabbits and mice." With that warning, Gary paled and ran outside. Oak realized he really did need to set up a mini-farm. Good thing hydroponics was a thing.
Still, at least Ash would get Pikachu. …Maybe he should've called that girl's parents to drag her in, but she liked to sleep in. At least she'd take the Bulbasaur.
Outside, Ash prepared for his first day as a trainer. From the spearow flock from hell to meeting Pikachu, he was ready for anything. He was fully prepared for Misty not to be there, too: who knows what had changed? Thankfully, some things weren't so different, as Gary was there first, looking cocky as always. "Hey, Ash! Sleep in, did we?" Gary asked mockingly. Or not so mockingly: Ash could hear a slight waver in his voice. Was that fear? "You're late! Everyone came and took the starter Pokemon!" Ash knew this was a lie. There was one in there, waiting for him. He hoped. And that uncertainty showed on his face. What if Pikachu wasn't there?
"Looks like you're staying here, Ashy-boy!" Gary mocked, though he really didn't have the heart for it. Was their relationship different here? At any rate, Gary walked off, though there was no car and no cheerleaders this time around. But Ash didn't care about that. He cared about his starter and the rest of the family. So while Gary walked away, he walked inside.
Waiting for him inside a really messed up lab was Professor Oak, putting on a new lab coat, who noticed him a few seconds after the young man entered the room. "Ah, Ash." he greeted cheerfully before narrowing his eyes. "You're late. Being a second late for a train is life changing, Ash. All of the starters were taken by trainers that were on time." Ash knew for a fact that was a complete and total lie. A stronger word came to mind, but he didn't pay attention to it. "There's got to be another choice, isn't there?" Ash all but begged. 'Please… Pikachu, be here!' he thought in desperation. Oak then sighed, producing a pokeball with a lightning bolt on it from his own belt. "There is one, but…" Oak said before he paused to gesture at the depression on the release button, which had a black ring. "There is a problem with this one."
Ash did not care. Pikachu was Pikachu. "I'll take it!" he cried impulsively, taking the ball out of Oak's hands before he pressed the button with his middle finger, releasing the pokemon within. The energy soon formed a slightly chubby yellow mouse with a lightning bolt tail, red cheeks and dark eyes. Ash smiled, ignoring Pikachu's sparking before just hugging the little thing, all the sparks ending as Pikachu calmed down. "Pikapi!" 'Ash!' the little mouse cried as he jumped onto Ash's right arm and took his customary place on his trainer's shoulder. "Piiiiii~ka!" 'I am never leaving your side again, do you hear me, you idiot?!' Pikachu said as he tried not to cry. 'Never! Again!'
Oak watched this curiously. "Well, you seem to have… bonded." he said dryly before producing another Pokeball. "But as you are very well aware, that Pikachu is a Shadow Pokemon. And while he's calm… for now…" Pikachu stopped rubbing his cheeks against Ash's to glare at the old man for suggesting he be taken away. That happened three times - Mewtwo was going to suffer the next time they met, Groudon and Kyogre were going to get chopped and electrocuted and that Mew was going to have to avoid his rage - and was not happening again. Oak ignored him, handing the other ball to Ash. "I don't need it." the young trainer said, trying to keep his voice even. While he wouldn't mind expanding the family, he had to find the rest first. Butterfree, Charizard, Bulbasaur, Quilava, Heracross, Swellow, Chimchar, Gible, Pignite, Snivy, Greninja, Goodra, Rowlet, Lycanroc: they came first. Catching anyone new would have to wait until the rest were safe, if he caught anyone at all.
But Oak did not know this. "I insist." Oak stressed. "Ash, that Pikachu is a Shadow Pokemon and likely to disobey you—" "Chu." 'After the Spearows? Not likely.' Pikachu retorted, but Oak took this as proof. "Besides, the League has strict regulations on this sort of thing." the professor said. "If I have to give you a Shadow Pokemon as a starter, I have to give you a powerful non-starter just so you can survive. The rules are the rules. Besides, you may like this one." He tapped the ball, opening it. The energy surged out, forming something that looked like a Pikachu, but… not one. It was a Pokemon Ash and Pikachu were all too familiar with.
After all, one tried to kill them on a regular basis in Alola. "Professor Kukui in Alola sent me this Mimikyu for study, but every time I let her out, she refuses to do anything." Oak explained, gesturing to the Mimikyu in question. "Acute depression, mostly. The only thing I can do is give her to a trainer. And you're the best and only choice." The Mimikyu perked up before looking at Ash. "Mi?" 'Are you… my friend?' the Mimikyu asked, sounding like a young girl, kinda like Lana's little sisters, only a bit more distorted.
And Ash was not going to deny anyone a chance for friendship. "Hi. I'm Ash." he said, extending his hand to the little ghost/fairy-type.
"Mi… Mimi… KYUUUU!" 'F… Frie… FRIEND!' The little Pokemon shouted, leaping on Ash's unoccupied shoulder and cuddling with his face happily purring.
"I'm not surprised you would try to make a friend, in spite of Mimikyu's… reputation." Oak said as Mimikyu acted more like a cat then a… well, Pikachu. "Just try not to look under the rag; people have died doing that." Ash nodded, knowing all too well about that thanks to Team Rocket's Mimikyu. And about the power of this little rag-covered Pokemon: he had lost count of the number of times a Shadow Ball nearly killed his starter back in Alola. Having a Mimikyu himself would allow him to know what that monster back in Alola could do so he could make Team Rocket's life very difficult. Enough to make them go away, hopefully.
"Well, good luck, Ash." the professor said with a smile. "Try to avoid your mother: I would rather not hear about your undergarments and how infrequently they are changed." On that, Ash could not agree more.
Kalos Region - 1947 hours local time
He risked his life today, only to anger a massive flock of quick-tempered and dangerous Pokemon, but for good reason. He had a family member to recover.
Hawlucha knew of time travel from the rest of the family: Celebi and Dialga were commonly cursed names by Bayleaf and Infernape, though Pikachu had to fill in the blanks during Ash's trip back to Kanto with his Alolan friends. Still, he wasn't complaining about that: with everything that happened, time travel was new.
It was having to risk his live to save an egg that if it wasn't there he wouldn't even bother that he had right to complain about. The luchador Pokemon had to check the local Noivern flock for the egg, finding that it was laid now. Unlike most eggs, those of dragon-types were… impossible to eat by Ekans and Arbok. One Dragonite pair had an egg, an Arbok tried to eat it, the arbok got sick and nearly died. Not to mention eggs nearly lasted forever. For all he knew, Noibat was born now and his egg simply waited for six years for the events of his hatching last time.
He didn't care at this point. He just had to protect the egg and get back to the ranch. "Fletchling!" 'Hawlucha, you overly theatrical bastard!' a familiar voice chirped before a Fletchling appeared in front of him. "Ling!" 'Do you remember me?'
"Haw?" '…Talonflame?' Hawlucha asked in confusion. "Hawlucha!" 'You're a Fletchling? When did Ash catch you?'
The robin landed on the ground. "Ling!" 'I was Ash's first catch, not counting Froakie.' Fletchling proudly chirped. "Fletch…" 'Well, his first Kalos catch… I think a bug-type was his first.'
Rain began to fall before a certain snail appeared, moving slowly. "Goomy." 'I hate being a Goomy…' said Ash's second Kalosian powerhouse as he slowly slithered on the dampened ground. "Goo?" 'Hawlucha? I thought you were miles away.'
The wrestling bird wasn't pleased with that reaction. "Hawlucha." 'I was. I might not look like it, but I am a flying type, snail dragon.' Hawlucha said with a bit of bite.
"Goomy." 'Don't remind me.' said snail dragon retorted. "Goo." 'I want to be a big powerful Goodra again.'
"Fletch!" 'At least the gang's all together!' Fletchling chirped before realizing the mistake in her statement. "Fletchling." 'Not counting Froakie, but he's lab-born, so he's Arceus knows where.'
A water sphere shot overhead, all three Pokemon preparing for combat, mostly hiding behind the only one of them with Hydration, using Goomy's slimy body as a shield. But the threat was non-existent.
"Froak." 'You are quite mistaken, bird.' said a light blue, bubble-covered frog as he appeared before them, using his skills he had mastered in the last timeline. "Froakie." 'I may be lab-born, but I am not an idiot.'
Hawlucha narrowed his eyes. "Haw-lu." 'Don't do that again.' he all but threatened. "Cha." 'I have Noibat's egg and am not going to tolerate that around him.'
"Fro." 'That was just to get your attention.' retorted Froakie. "Froakie-Froak." 'Now, what happened? Why am I a Froakie again and which legendary do I have to beat for making me break out of the lab and spend a full day without rest to find you?'
"Hawlucha." 'Now, you would know the story.' the fighting-type said, resisting the urge to smirk before continuing to mock Froakie. "Lucha." 'If you hadn't decided to stay here last time.'
"Froak." 'I stayed here because Ash told me to stay and help Zygarde!' the frog roared back. "Froakie!" 'And what do you know that I don't?!'
Goomy groaned before having enough with the two. His answer to this was type advantage. While he never learned in Ash's care, he did know the basics from Pikachu. And so, the two arguing morons got an electrocution via a weak Thunderbolt each, knocking Froakie on his rear and Hawlucha to collapse on his back. "Goo, Goomy, Goo, Goo, Goo!" 'Shut the hell up, both of you!' the weakest dragon demanded. 'Ash left me here as well, per my own request, to protect my home. And fighting like this will only distract us from getting to Serena.'
Froakie groaned as he got back to his feet. "Froak?" 'Serena?' he asked. "Fro." 'We should be heading to Kanto, not Vanille Town.'
"Fletch!" 'Because Serena knows Ash!' the robin cried. "Fletch-ling!" 'That's a universal constant! Serena always knows Ash, no matter the timeline! She's our best chance to get to Kanto!'
Froakie was a stubborn Pokemon, much like Ash, but… there was logic in this. "Froakie." 'I am bound to Ash.' he said solemnly. "Froak." 'He is my liege-lord. His will is my own. Should he need me to return to Kalos, I will. But he requires me now. And Serena is the fastest option to return to his side.' The ninja frog gestured with his left arm. "Froak." 'Lead on, Fletchling.'
The fire robin took to the air. "Ling!" 'Follow me!' she chirped.
"Goo." 'Would someone bother carrying me?' asked the dragon-type. Froakie obliged, grabbing his fellow powerhouse and carrying him.
Kanto Region, Route 1 - 0844 hours local time
Ash had reclaimed his backpack and equipment from Belladonna and was now enroute to Viridian City. With an extra companion from another region. "So… are you going to be a problem, Mimikyu?" he asked the Disguise Pokemon.
"Mimimimimikyuuuu!" 'Nononono! I'll never be a problem to you! I'll do whatever you want! I Just wanna be your friend!' Mimikyu shouted in a panic, looking at Pikachu. "Kyuuu…" 'D-Did I do something wrong?'
"Pikapi-Pikachu." 'It's a long story.' he explained gently. "Pikapi." 'We've had run-ins with another Mimikyu. He was a murderous freak that consistently tried to kill me.'
"And I never understood why." Ash continued for his starter, attempting to scratch his head. "I thought Mimikyus mimicked Pikachus because they wanted to be loved, but that thing…"
"Mimi! Mimikyu!"'I-I would never do that!' The Mimikyu said hurriedly. 'I-I just want friends and… and…' the Pokemon paused before looking at Ash. "Mimi… kyu?" 'Wait… you can… understand us?'Ash nodded. "Another long story." the trainer said. "But if you're willing to listen when we get to Viridian Forest, I'll explain everything."
Before Mimikyu could reply, a caw was heard in the air, making Pikachu jump off his shoulder and spark violently. "Pi." 'Spearows.' he all but snarled.
But he was wrong. At least about the plural, as a single Spearow dropped from the sky, looking battered. "Sp… ear…" 'Run. run…' the bird said.
Ash leaned down, picking up the bird. "What's going on?" Ash asked the bird. "What did this to you?"
"Spea… row. Spear…" 'Run, human. My flock… they've gone insane." the tiny bird said. 'They ate something. They went crazy a few days ago!'
Ash looked at Pikachu. "Can you use thunderbolt?" he asked his starter, who shook his head. "Pika." 'I don't have the power for that, Ash.' he replied sadly. 'I know how to do it, but… I don't have the power.' Ash wanted to curse Celebi for that, but it wasn't as though Celebi had a choice in the matter. She was right: it would take a legendary to get them back to that level of power.
More caws were heard from above. The Spearow death flock at arrived. But Ash had no intention of leaving anyone to die. He bundled up Spearow, looking at Mimikyu. "Sorry, Mimikyu, but I don't think you can run and fight at the same time!" Mimikyu didn't argue as Ash returned her, placing her ball on his belt as the pair began to run. "Spear?!" 'What are you doing, human?!' screamed the bird. "Row…" 'Oh, why do I bother: you can't understand me.' "I'm saving your life, Spearow!" retorted Ash, much to Spearow's surprise. "Pikachu, use whatever electric attacks you can do right now! We'll have to make this a fighting retreat!"
"Pika!" 'At least we're fighting!' cried Pikachu, as he took aim at the approaching birds, firing off what appeared to be black lightning at the flock. "…Pi?!" 'That's new!'
"Keep it up, Pikachu!" Ash yelled as they began to run down the route to Viridian.
Route 1 - Tajiri River - around the same time
A bobber hit the water, connected to a lure and a fishing rod held by a young red haired woman, wearing a yellow top with jean shorts held up by suspenders, all covered by a raincoat made from Mareep wool, Ekans and Dratini skins (all shed, of course) and shed Quilava fur.
Sitting beside her was a yellow Pokemon with a large bill, holding his head. "Duck." went the Psyduck. Of course, she couldn't understand what he said. "I know, Psyduck." the girl said to the waterfowl before the bobber suddenly went under the water. Her eyes suddenly lit up before tugging back on the reel, struggling with the hooked fish. But anyone that knew Misty Waterflower knew that she did not simply give up. As she brought up the Magikarp, she sadly realized that was a very low number.
Caws were heard as Misty balled the fish. "Huh?" Misty questioned as her eyes turned skyward. A massive flock of Spearow and Fearow were in the air, heading her way. And they looked… diseased. She hoped they weren't infected with prions, which, in a post-Cipher War world, was a very real and dangerous problem. It was rare now, thanks to the efforts of men like Professor Oak and the diseases were slowly dying, with the exception of the Pokeris, but it was a serious and real danger.
"Duck?" her Psyduck quacked before noticing the horde. "Psy!" "We need to get to cover." Misty stated, grabbing her bag, which included her sidearm. In a world with Shadow Pokemon, the league pretty much demanded trainers to have a gun in case their Pokemon was hurt. Or if they ran into Shadow Pokemon at all. Unarmed trainers tended to never come home. And there was nowhere to run as the crazed Spearows dove on her. The first Spearow rushed at her, hacking claws into her arm, before hundreds of birds attempted to peck and claw her to death.
Psyduck fought back, using confusion when they pecked him, but that did nothing. "Psy!" 'Someone electric, help!' quacked the duck.
Nearby
"Chhhhhhuuuuuuuuu!" 'Die, you murderous birds!' Pikachu yelled as he fired off another Shadow thunderbolt at the flock, but they continued to circle and attempt to claw at Ash and the other spearow.
"They just keep coming!" Ash said as he continued to shield Spearow. "What's their problem?!" Even as Ash wondered, Pikachu decided he didn't care as he heard a familiar scream. A familiar quacking scream he identified as Psyduck. Misty's Psyduck. That water bird might've been a serious pain in the ass for Misty, but if he wanted to leave, he would have a long time ago: he cared for Misty enough to be a pain in her ass.
So as rain began to fall, Pikachu looked to Ash. "Pikapi!" 'Ash, I can hear Psyduck!' he said. 'Misty's Psyduck!'
Ash, in pain, but still able to move, glanced at his starter. "Psyduck?" he asked the mouse. "What's he doing here?"
"Pika!" 'Should we care?!' Pikachu retorted. "Pipipi!" 'Psyduck's in danger and we need to help him!' Ash knew that Psyduck was in that district of Celedon, Hop-Hop-Hop Town, as ridiculous as it was called, back in the other timeline, so he was right to question how he could be near Pallet. On the other hand, Pikachu knew Misty's Psyduck's voice very well and was not likely to mistake him for another Psyduck.
So he gave Pikachu the benefit of the doubt as he gave Pikachu a wordless command to lead on and followed him, firing arcs at the sky as they came to that river from before, only it was much bigger and deeper. But some things did not change at all. And while she was older, more womanly and had longer red hair… he would recognize Misty anywhere. And while she would kill him later, he would gladly die to make sure she was safe. Ash jumped the river, smacking any Spearow that got too close to him as he got to Misty's side, putting the friendly Spearow in his bag and picked her up in a bridal carry, rushing down the riverbank. "Duck?!" 'Where the hell are you going with my trainer?!' cried the familiar yellow duck Ash once mocked Misty for catching a long time ago.
"I'm saving her life!" Ash yelled back, surprising the duck as he ran, carrying one of the many women he had travelled with and fallen in love with in his long journey from Kanto to Alola. Ash grit his teeth as he pushed those thoughts to the wayside, reminding himself that he may have loved her in the other timeline, but he friend-zoned her and every single girl he met from day one, refusing to be his womanizing bastard of a father. That said, he would not let her die. He would die first before letting that happen! He had died making sure that never happened!
"You Arceus-damned birds…" Ash growled as he ran towards Viridian. "Will not…" He headbutted a Spearow, pretty sure that broke its' neck, but not really caring so long as Misty was safe, allowing the other Spearows to claw and peck him while protecting her. "TOUCH HER!"
Lightning began to strike the ground before Pikachu had enough. "PIKA…" 'All of you…' the mouse growled dangerously as electrical power welled within him. "CHU!" 'SUFFER AND DIE!' Pikachu's form fired out black and yellow lightning, striking every hostile Spearow and even the Fearows, arcing and striking every bird in the flock, using the storm itself to boost the power of the bolts. This had one drawback, as Pikachu discovered.
It completely drained him, as he fell on his face. That being said, the flock of death was done for, being reduced to a twitching mass of feathers and pain. But as drained and hurt as he was, Pikachu grinned. "Pi…" 'I… win…' he said before the skies began to clear.
Misty felt nothing but pain, but she was alive, regaining consciousness. And she took sight of why she was still alive. A young man, almost her age, if a bit younger, with tanned skin, strange lightning-bolt marks on his cheeks, brownish-red eyes and black hair with a Pokemon League cap on his head, wearing a blue and white jacket with a black T-shirt. She couldn't see much else.
But she didn't know him. Why would he save her? "Duck!" Psyduck, pecked and in pain, cried as he waddled over to his trainer, still in her saviour's arms as the rain came to a stop and the sun began to shine. And shine brightly. Very brightly. And while Psyduck had Cloud Nine, it couldn't do that. Her saviour's eyes turned skyward, catching sight of something as they widened. She followed them. And she was sure he had a good reason to be amazed when she saw what he saw.
Fire-red feathers with a golden glow, a slightly hooked beak, the tail feathers arranged like a merrygold's pedals when viewed from the rear and a crest of feathers atop its' head. The Storm's End. The Master of the Beasts. The Bird of the Tin Tower. It had many titles. Many legends. Many stories.
But it only had one name: Ho-Oh. Misty was looking at the legendary bird Pokemon Ho-Oh.
Ash looked at the Bird of the Tin Tower as it flew overhead like it did last time. There was one exception, though. Last time, it flew on straight ahead. This time, it looked at him, not moving its' head, but he could see the eye look at him with what appeared to be sorrow and regret. Ash barely got his Pokedex out to record the image, struggling with Misty. "Ho-Oh, the Rainbow Pokémon." the machine stated, much to Ash's hidden glee. Now no one could deny it: he saw Ho-Oh! "Ho-Oh's feathers glow in seven colors depending on the angle at which they are struck by light. These feathers are said to bring happiness to the bearers. This Pokémon is said to live at the foot of a rainbow."
Speaking of feathers, one fell from the sky, landing on the Pokedex. He saw Misty looking at Ho-Oh, just like him, but she couldn't stay awake, slumping over. "Duck…" 'Holy crap.' Psyduck said. "Psy-aye-aye…" 'I just saw freaking Ho-Oh, the most rare legendary of them all…' Ash closed the Pokedex, putting it back in his jacket before continuing his run, heading for Viridian City. Bragging about Ho-Oh could wait: Misty's life was in the balance.
Johto Region - 1048 hours local time
While many Pokemon were playful, none were as powerfully playful as something that had mastered the art of battle dancing. And a blue bipedal crocodile had long since mastered the art. Still, even knowing and being involved with the Celebi incident and Ash going back in time, which he was not there for, Totodile was not happy with this. At all. One, Ash was in danger. Two, he wasn't in Kanto. Three, he was back in Johto. He hated Johto! This region was nothing but trouble and he was born here! The Unown and Celebi were incidents he hated for a good reason and he couldn't do a damn thing about Altomare!
So, immature as he could be, he wasn't a child. He needed to find the others and get to Kanto. So he rushed into the grasslands and forests, avoiding any trainer that wasn't his own… until a pair of vines grabbed him. "Chi." 'Hello, Totodile.' said the grass-type that snared him. Which just so happened to have a pear-shaped body, a leaf on her head and four limbs. A grass-type Totodile knew every well.
"To?!" 'Chikorita?!' cried the croc. "Dile?" 'When—' "Chika." 'Last night. I rushed to find you and Cyndaquil.' she answered. "Rita." 'She should be somewhere close by. We find her, we find the others, we go to Ash.' She let the young water croc down, allowing him to get his bearings. "Chi." 'We're safer together.' she said, using a vine line a human would a hand to gesture Totodile to follow her. "Ri." 'Come on, let's find our honey badger.'
Totodile blinked before following Chikorita. Finding the rest of the gang would be a lot easier together. Plus they could tackle any trainer that tried to catch them.
Kanto Region, very outskirts of Viridian City - 1312 hours local time
Misty was light, but carrying her around was becoming a chore, especially with her very torn and… exposing clothing. If it weren't for the situation they were in, not to mention Ash's personal vow to not treat her as anything but a friend and to never get involved romantically, he would be having very impure thoughts right now. Why did she have to be so beautiful?
'Get your head out of the gutter, Ketchum.' Ash mentally chided, trying not to give in to temptation. By the time he went to Alola, he had five very beautiful girls as travelling companions and after turning 13 in Altomare, almost five years of self-trained restraint. It didn't help that Brock's antics were not only amusing, they helped remind him of how not to act.
That being said, he had been 12 when he made that vow and had a long time suppressing it. Now he was 14 and he wasn't prepared for… well, Misty. Fortunately, he had someone to keep him from doing something stupid. "Duck." wordlessly quacked Psyduck, who noticed Ash was trying - and often failing - not to look at his trainer's very attractive form. But the quack wasn't an objection, but more a 'look later; she needs help'. Ash took the latter and ignored the former, as he picked up the pace, entering Viridian City's limits.
"Hold it!" Ash barely paid attention to the Jenny's yelling before she just grabbed his shoulder, stopping him and forcing him to face her. "Where do you think you're going?" the police officer demanded. "The Pokemon Center, where else?!" Ash retorted, holding Misty in his arms. "She has Pokemon that need help, she needs medical attention and I have no time for this!" The cop looked at him, then noticed the claw marks and heard Spearow in his backpack. She torn it open, finding him as clawed and injured as the girl, if barely any better because he was a Pokemon.
"That damned Spearow flock finally went insane." she snarled before grabbing her motorcycle. "Get in the sidecar: you won't make it to the center in time on foot!" Ash got into the sidecar with a groan, holding onto Misty before Psyduck returned himself to his ball, right before the bike rode off, probably breaking a few speed limits. Not that Ash cared.
10 minutes later - Viridian City Pokemon Center
Ash actually felt sorry for the local Nurse Joy. The tire marks were going to be a pain to remove. "How many times do I have to tell you, don't do that!" And speak of the devil, here came the local Joy, who looked outright pissed off. Apparently, the Jenny did this a lot more than he assumed last time. "You can wash the floors later!" the cop retorted as Ash got out, carrying Misty. "The girl needs medical attention: that Spearow flock finally went hostile and attacked her!" The Joy's rage went away, but did not disappear: the floor could wait. She had a job to do.
"Nurse Joy?" Ash asked before pulling the unconscious bird out of his bag. "This Spearow was attacked by the rest of the flock and needs help, too." "Did you catch Spearow?" asked the nurse before Ash shook his head. "No, I haven't; I was going to wait until he recovered before letting him go." he answered. The Pokemon medic grinned a little. "We never see trainers that just help wild Pokemon anymore." she said before gesturing for another stretcher for the bird. "We'll tell you when Spearow's alright. In the meantime, we'll set up a room for you and your girlfriend." the nurse said, smiling obviously. Ash growled at being called Misty's boyfriend. He had vowed to be forever single, never to repeat his father's mistakes with his mother.
Even if he wanted to be with her - and he did; contrary to popular belief, he did love Misty, May, Dawn, Serena, even Iris for all her flaws - he would never be his father. But the Joy didn't notice. And Ash was too concerned about Misty to bother ask for another room.
Three hours later
The bird's eye opened as he woke up, groaning. "Hey." Spearow turned his head to look at the human, who seemed happy to see him. "How do you feel?" asked the trainer. "Spear." 'Alive.' he said. "Spearow." 'So… I'm caught. I suppose I'm going to be fighting for you.' "No." the bird looked at the trainer, who Pikachu called Ash, in shock. He… wasn't going to be fighting?
"I haven't caught you. I wanted you to be ok before I let you go." the human explained. It wasn't an insult; Spearow were hot-blooded, not stupid. Ash was clearly honorable. The bird was wounded and vulnerable, yet Ash did not force him into a ball. "Spe?" 'Let me go?' Spearow asked. "Spear." 'Because I'm not a Pidgey? Or because you don't want to catch me?' "Because I want it to be your choice." Ash said seriously. "If you want to stay or go, it's up to you. Not me."
Spearow wasn't all that old. For a Pokemon, at least: most of them lived for 150 years or longer, depending on species. Spearow himself was 65 years old and had lived through the Cipher War and the beginning of the age of Shadow, the end of selfless trainers. He thought he would spend the next century and a half watching the world continue to get worse.
Perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps this was the beginning of the return of the Golden Age. It was much to think about. Or was it? The young man saved his life, risking his own skin for no reward. He looked at the backpack, trying to find a pokeball. Upon finding the first red-and-white ball he immediately tapped it twice, willingly and instantaneously capturing himself.
Ash didn't expect this. If anything, he expected a thank you before Spearow flew off, plus he wanted to save his pokeballs for Pidgeotto and Caterpie. Still, he was going to have to get more balls if this kept happening. While he didn't want to throw pokeballs at everything in sight, he was going to have to stock up on more if this kept happening. He then grabbed the ball and let Spearow out.
"You know, you don't have to stay." he said to the bird. "Spear." 'I know. But I am. I have seen many humans in my life, but you are the most honorable and selfless.' the bird retorted. "Row." 'I am going with you. Like it or not.' Ash would have kept arguing had the door not opened, with the center's two Chanseys bringing Misty in, followed in tow by the local Joy. "Chan." 'She's all fixed up!' cried the Lucky Pokemon as they put the girl on the bed and removed the stretcher from under her.
"She lost a fair bit of blood from those damned Spearow - no offense." she said before Spearow shrugged as best a bird could. "Spea." 'None taken.' he replied. "Clawing and pecking at her. Thankfully, she wasn't infected by anything they were carrying. Thank Arceus, too: prions are impossible to get rid of." the Joy finished.
"When will she get up?" asked Ash. "Not for a bit." replied the medic. "But there's something you—" before she could finish, the sound of smashing glass got their attention. "What was that?!" the doctor claimed as she ran out of the room, heading for the lobby. Ash, though… he knew damn well who that was. "And here I was hoping those three would never rear their heads ever again." he groaned as he looked at Pikachu, who, while not at 100% like last time, at least wasn't nearly dead. "Ready to deal with them?"
"Pika?" 'Do we have to?' he moaned. "Chhhhhhuu." 'I'm tired of having to deal with them.' "Who's going to drive them off if not us? Misty's in no shape to do anything." Ash retorted as he opened the door, Pikachu dutifully following before Spearow came to join them.
PMC lobby
It was them, alright: red-haired Jessie with her far-too-short for Ash's taste shorts and top, bluenette James with those roses he always had before they went to Johto and of course, the talking Meowth.
"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie cried, making Ash roll his eyes. Six years. Six Arceus-damned years he had to endure that annoying motto and their rhymes.
"And make it double!" James followed up as Ash continued to try and ignore it. If it weren't for the fact that they could actually make passable trainers and when they weren't trying to steal Pikachu they were quite helpful and friendly, not to mention he wanted them to give up of their own accord, he'd've had Pikachu zap them into a coma and handed them to the Elite Four at the Indigo Conference!
"To protect the world from devastation!" Ash was pretty sure that was his job now. "To unite all peoples in our nation!" Under Team Rocket's thumb? Over his rotting corpse. Or theirs. Preferably theirs: he was getting really tired of these three and their thieving. And with that, he tuned out the rest of the motto.
"Meowth, that's right!" with the exception of Meowth speaking up. Now it was time to get to get to business and send these three flying into Mount Moon. "This Pokemon Center is now under the control of Team rocket!" James cried, waving his blue rose around like a wand. "Now, no one mo—" "Pikachu, thundershock!" ash commanded, with Pikachu jumping into the air and firing a weak lightning bolt at the Rockets, forcing them to seek cover.
"How rude!" Jessie cried. "Didn't your mother teach you manners?" "She did. She also taught me not to put up with members of a villainous team!" Ash retorted before Pikachu fired another discharge of electrical power at the Rockets, only managing to nail Meowth. "Dat ain't playin' fair…" said the scratch cat as he fell over, right before the other two sent out their original mainstays: Ekans and Koffing, who would evolve into Arbok and Weezing later on. Ash had an idea where they went - there was a Pokemon thief of much greater skill in Hoenn, where the two disappeared and contrary to popular belief, he wasn't stupid - but he did miss the days where they were generally incompetent. Oh, well, at least he could use them for training.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on that Koffing!" Pikachu jumped into the air, glowing a faint black. The three Pokemon and two Rocket trainers promptly needed a change of pants as Koffing was hit with black lightning, knocking it out and on the ground. "That thing's a shadow Pokemon!" cried James as he returned Koffing. "We need to get the hell out of here!" "And piss off the Boss?!" demanded Jessie, though she returned her own poison-type as well. "You know the regs, Jessie: do not engage a Shadow Pokemon!" retorted the bluenette, right before his rear end caught on fire thanks to an Ember hitting him as another window broke open.
"Char!" 'Surprise, assholes!' cried a familiar and angry fire lizard as he fired more bursts of flaming oil at the Rockets. Ash didn't waste any time, even if he wanted to confirm it was who he thought it was. "Pikachu, hit them with everything you got!" he ordered. "Pika…" Pikachu built up power wordlessly. "CCCCCCCHUUUUUUUUU!" Then discharged it as a Shadow bolt, causing the roof to be blown off and the Rockets sent flying as the ground exploded under them.
At least those three were gone now. "Charm." 'Hello, Ash.' said the lizard as he walked up to Ash, hugging his leg. "Char…" 'I screwed up. I'm sorry for not listening.' Ash kneeled to hug the Kanto fire starter, trying to hold back his own tears. "It's ok. It's ok." he choked out. Then he heard a scream. "Char?!" 'Was that misty?!' demanded Charmander before Ash let him go, rushing down back to the room he and Misty were staying, throwing the door open.
The girl was sitting up in the bed, panting uncontrollably, looking around before her eyes locked onto Ash and she began to calm down. Before she launched herself at him, babbling. "I-I… I thought I was alone." she said, sobbing as she latched onto the young man. "Don't… please don—" "Uh… please let go of me." Ash asked. Misty ignored him and latched on tighter.
"That's enough, Misty." said the local Nurse Joy, who held a needle in her hands before Misty attempted to use Ash as a shield. "No! No!" she cried. "I need him! I need—" Joy shoved them onto the ground, laying on Ash's back before putting the needle into Misty's neck, injecting her with the contents. "No…" Misty moaned out before she fell unconscious, the pink-clad nurse getting off of Ash, who was blushing. "Sorry about that." she said as Ash rolled off of Misty, attempting to get himself under control. "Young Misty here has… problems." That got Ash's attention off of his old friend's… loveliness as he sat up. "Problems?" he asked.
"A lack of human contact in her life. Her sisters couldn't spend all that much time with her." the nurse explained as Ash unreasonably saw red. "Not that they wanted to abandon her, but seeing as they were gym leaders, not to mention the only real trainers in Cerulean, they had to stay out constantly to keep those damned Shadow Pokemon out of the population centers. Especially after their parents died."
With that, Ash's blood cooled. So they didn't really have a choice and if shadow Pokemon were so insanely dangerous - who was he kidding: Team Rocket fled when they had the chance when Pikachu used that Shadow Thunderbolt - taking Misty with them would only result in her getting hurt. Or killed. "So… who took care of her?" he asked the Joy, who sat on his bed as she let out a breath.
"The Gym's Pokemon took care of her. Hell, the Starmie helped school her." she said with an almost amused huff. "Her sisters, when they were there, did teach her how to talk, but she has difficulties with people. She's terrified of being alone. My cousin in Cerulean told every Joy in Kanto to watch out for her. And you saved her life from the birds." Ash didn't know what this meant and it showed on his face. The nurse groaned as she saw it. "She's going to be following you around because no other trainer would. Too concerned with saving their own skins." she stated with a huff of disdain. "Those birds only made her complex worse."
Ash facepalmed. "At least you'll have a girlfriend." Joy said before Ash glared at her. "Does it look like I want a girlfriend?" he demanded.
Team Rocket local headquarters - Viridian Gym
Holographic screens in front of Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket, displayed everything going on. A ring caught the black-haired man's attention, even as his Persian's ears twitched. It was… those three.
They were referred to as The Team Rocket Trio by the press. The most well-known and generally incompetent team he had, but they occasionally got lucky with rare Pokemon: once, they brought him a Zorua and Zoroark. Not often, but when they succeeded, they succeeded in a big way. Probably calling him about another failure. So he pushed the button and answered the call.
"What?" he demanded as the two humans and their Meowth appeared. "Uh, sir, remember that attack on the Viridian Pokemon Center?" James half-questioned. "I know you failed, if you're not carrying a bag full of Pokeballs." Giovanni snarked at them. Jessie laughed sheepishly. "Well, you see… we have an excuse this time." she said. Giovanni's eyebrow raised before a video appeared, showing a Pikachu charging up for an electric attack. "And?" he stated, right before the lightning fired turned out to be not gold-white, but black. A Shadow Pikachu.
"Well, at least your excuse works this time." said the rocket boss before the image shifted slightly to the trainer. He wore jeans, running shoes, a black undershirt and a jacket… with black hair covered by an official League hat and brown eyes. "Oh, shit." he said as he studied the image. His statement of 'oh, shit' turned out to be an understatement.
"That trainer." he said, brining the three morons back up. "I have new orders for you. You are to shadow the boy. Fight him as often as possible." "To… steal his Pokemon?" asked the redhead in confusion. "Yes. Do not screw this up. Am I understood?" stressed the Rocket Boss.
The TRio saluted, looking scared out of their minds. He couldn't blame them. That being said, he enjoyed it when they were scared. It was more fun that way. And he enjoyed people suffering from their own mistakes. So he lied. He made them think that he wanted them to steal that Pikachu, but their duties were to essentially train the boy.
He would rather not anger his mother.