Aura Heart Journey Chapter 5 (Patreon)

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is here with another chapter of Aura Heart Journey! This chapter Ash and Misty make it to Viridian Forest and Ash catches a familiar Pokémon!

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Chapter 5 – Night Under the Stars, Viridian Forest

Ash and Misty had walked for a few more hours before stopping for lunch and a bathroom break on the side of Route Two. A simple meal of jerky, trail mix, dried fruit and water was eaten and bathroom needs were taken care of in turns. It was reassuring for both Trainers to have someone else able to watch out for them during these times. The two companions hadn’t seen anyone else on the Route since this morning except a truck that had driven by shortly before lunch. Ash had been on the lookout for any Pokémon he wanted to catch but had only seen a few Rattata and a group of small Pidgey.

“A couple more hours and we should see the forest.” Misty informed Ash as they continued to walk.

“That’s good; I never realized how far the forest was from Viridian City. It’s not far by car but when you walk it you really get the sense of distance.” Ash replied as he looked ahead to see down the Route.

“How long do you plan to explore the forest anyway?” Misty asked as they walked along.

“Not too long. If we take the main path it usually takes only seven or eight hours to get through Viridian Forest from what I’ve heard. I know you don’t like Bug Types much so I think it’s best if we get through quickly.” Ash smiled getting Misty to smile back at him for his thoughtfulness.

“Thanks Ash, I appreciate your concern.” Misty smiled. “I know some Trainers spend a couple days in Viridian Forest trying to catch some of the harder to find Pokémon. I hope I’m not making you miss out on something you want to catch.”

“You’re not, Misty, don’t worry.” Ash assured his companion noticing her worried/guilty tone. “I still don’t even know what I’ll end up catching in the forest.”

“Alright, if you say so, but if you see a Pokémon you want to catch don’t hesitate to stop and try. I’ll be fine with a delay like that. I don’t want to hinder your journey after all.” Misty replied.

“You’ll never be a hindrance, Misty, at least not in my book.” Ash stated with a grin as he reached for his canteen. Misty’s light blush was entirely missed by him as he drank.

‘Why is he so sweet? He’s not even trying to be! If he was almost any other guy I’d think he was trying to sweet talk me, but he’s just saying what he feels.’ Misty thought to herself as she faced away from Ash for a few moments to let her blush fade. When she looked back over at Ash it was to see him pouring water into his cupped hand and letting Pikachu drink from it.

“Is that better Pikachu?” Ash asked his Pokémon getting a happy ‘Chu!’ in return as Pikachu climbed back onto Ash’s shoulder.

The duo continued their trek towards Viridian Forest for a few more hours happily chatting and telling stories. Misty found the stories Ash told about his life growing up in Pallet Town interesting. He had stories about his mom’s restaurant, Professor Oak and his lab, and even stories about his father, Bruno, and learning under the Elite Four member as he was growing up. Misty told him stories about her sisters, even the ones that made her sigh and shake her head at her sibling’s antics. The stories she told him about her parents were all happy memories but carried an undertone of sadness as she recounted them. The sight of woodland becoming common and slowly thickening with trees was a good indicator that they were approaching the forest. 

“Looks like we’re almost at the edge of Viridian Forest.” Misty announced as the duo were cresting a hill.

“I’d say so.” Ash replied as they stood atop the hill and looked at the massive forest spread out below. “So, since neither of us wants to spend the night inside the forest how about we set up camp a bit away from the tree line and get started on dinner?”

“Sounds good to me, I’ll get my tent set up and spray a Repel before going to get some firewood.” Misty offered as the two trainers started walking down the hill towards the forest.

“Alright, I’ll set mine up and let the Pokémon out to wander around and get some food and exercise.” Ash responded.

As the two arrived about one hundred meters from the edge of the forest they moved off the path of Route Two and into the woodland that surrounded the actual forest. They found a spot with a decent amount of space and quickly set up their tents. Misty had a tent similar to Ash’s that popped up on its own. With the tents up and secured Misty took out one of the Repels she brought and started spraying a circle around their campsite. Repel sprays lasted for upwards of seven to eight hours under field conditions. Super Repels lasted around fifteen hours and Max Repels lasted close to twenty four hours. 

Misty handed her Pokeballs to Ash except for Goldeen’s and went about the trees surrounding the campsite picking up fallen branches to use as firewood. Ash released both his and Misty’s Pokémon and set them loose on the berry bushes around the area. Staryu and Starmie both stayed close to Misty’s tent as they didn’t eat much while her Poliwag went with Ash’s Poliwag to pick off berries from a bush across from Ash’s tent. Riolu and Pikachu quickly ran around trying to find their own favorites from the berries available getting a chuckle from Ash at their antics.

“Got the firewood.” Misty stated as she set the bundle of sticks down.

“Great, just give me a second to get some stones together.” Ash replied as he found a few good sized stones around and arranged them in a circle. With some of the firewood put in the stone circle Ash put his hand onto the wood and focused slightly. The glow of Aura appeared on Ash’s palm before turning reddish orange and a small flame appeared in his hand. Within a few seconds the fire had ignited the wood and their campfire was ready.

“That’s a useful trick. Do you use your Aura like that often?” Misty asked as she started getting out her kettle and some of her food.

“Mostly just to practice, though it does save time when necessary.” Ash answered as he took out his pots and his water filtering tube. “Can I get some water?”

“Sure.” Misty grinned as she raised her hands and her Aura filled the space between them. A second later and droplets of moisture began to gather together. Within twenty seconds a ball of water was floating between Misty’s hands. With careful movements Misty guided the ball of water into Ash’s filtering tube. After the water had all been deposited into the filter Misty sat back with a grin. “That should be enough for cooking. I’m not a hundred percent certain but when I gather water like that it might also drag particles in the air with it; so I’m glad you have that filter. Pollen or dust flavored water isn’t my idea of a good drink.”

“Yeah, not exactly a winning flavor.” Ash chuckled as clean water began to pour out of the bottom of the tube into his big pot. Misty pulled out some of her vegetables and a cutting board from her pack. After getting out a vegetable knife she set about preparing them for cooking.

“I owe you two meals so I’ll cook tonight. If you have anything you want in particular just let me know.” Misty told him as she focused on slicing the vegetables.

“What are you planning on right now?” Ash asked as he watched her work.

“Stir fry, we’ve got vegetables, soy sauce and some jerky if we want to add a little meat to it.” Misty replied as she put down her knife and pulled a skillet out of her pack along with a small bottle of oil.

“Sounds good to me, haven’t had a stir fry in a while.” Ash stated as he pulled his empty filtering tube away from the pot. “I’ll fill up the canteens with some of this water. Do you want me to start the tea?”

“Yes, please.” Misty smiled as Ash filled the kettle with water and put it over the fire to boil. “Can you watch the skillet for a second?”

“Yeah sure thing.” Ash replied as he took over for Misty and moved the vegetables around the skillet with her wooden spoon.

“I’m just going to fill the shower bag while we have enough hours of sunlight left to get it nice and warm.” Misty explained as she pulled out her new solar shower bag and used her Aura to fill it with water. She found a branch high enough to hang the bag on where it would get plenty of sun before taking back over on the cooking. In less than thirty minutes Misty and Ash were both digging into the stir fry happily.

“Not bad Misty, this tastes great.” Ash complimented as he finished off his plate.

“Glad you like it.” Misty grinned as she finished up and they set about cleaning the dishes and drinking the tea.

The sun was starting to set when the duo set up Ash’s tarp around the hanging shower bag. With the shower now enclosed Misty placed her small tarp on the ground to prevent mud from forming. Ash told Misty to go first since it was her shower bag and the orangette smiled as she gathered her soap, shampoo and luffa.

“Ahh, that’s nice.” Misty sighed happily as she stood under the warm water. Showers really were the best. Misty hummed gently as she washed her hair and body under the shower bag. After five minutes she clicked the hanging nozzle and the water stopped flowing. Reaching just outside of the tarp enclosure she grabbed her towel and dried off. Reaching out again she picked up her sleeping clothes, a large t-shirt and some loose shorts that went down to her knees. She dressed and then exited the shower. “The shower is free, Ash.” She called out to her friend.

“Thanks I’ll head in shortly.” Ash replied as he gathered his towel and night clothes. Looking over at his friend Ash couldn’t help but stare slightly at Misty.

“What? Do I have something on me?” Misty questioned as she looked herself over.

“No nothing like that. It’s just the first time I’ve seen you with your hair down.” Ash replied as he looked her over without her signature side ponytail. “It looks nice.”

“Oh, thanks Ash.” Misty blushed as she began to towel her hair dry so that he couldn’t see her red face. Ash entered the shower and tossed his day clothes out of the enclosure next to his sleep clothes. After a warm four minute shower he happily let the final bit of water run out of the shower bag on his head.

“Showers in the wild aren’t bad at all.” Ash nodded as he reached outside the shower for his towel. After drying and dressing he exited the shower and found Misty had recalled all of their Pokémon into their Pokeballs for the night. “Thanks for getting everyone in for the night.” He smiled as he went and sat across from her with the small campfire between them.

“No problem. Did you enjoy the shower as much as I did?” Misty asked grinning.

“Yep, sure beats washing from a small pot of water.” Ash chuckled as they both sipped from the still warm tea. After a bit more chatting the sun had set and the two put out the fire. Misty turned her new lantern on and placed it in her tent for light before bed. The thickness of the tent fabric dulled the light to a dim glow to the outside allowing Ash to see the stars in the sky.

“Hmm, a little reading before bed will be good.” Misty stated as she placed her pack inside her tent.

“Hey Misty, uh…would you…maybe wanna look at the stars for a bit?” Ash asked a bit nervously as he looked towards Misty.

“Hmm?” Misty questioned as she looked up at the sky. “Oh wow, you can really see them clearly tonight.”

“Yeah, I thought so too.” Ash replied with a smile as he rubbed the back of his head.

“Sure Ash, I’d like to.” Misty replied with a light blush and a smile.

“Great!” Ash exclaimed before recollecting himself and blushing when Misty giggled at him. Ash quickly unrolled his sleeping bag and opened it fully giving the two plenty of room to sit as they gazed up at the shining stars.

“Wow, I can see so many stars tonight.” Misty sighed as she looked up at the many stars in the sky without a single cloud obscuring the view.

“It’s really amazing.” Ash nodded as he looked across the vast expanse of stars. 

The duo continued to star gaze together for several minutes both pointing out constellations they knew. Ash knew the constellation Leo the Pyroar and Misty traced out the constellation Hydra the Gyarados for him. When asked why Gyarados was called a hydra back in the day Misty had explained that Gyarados grouped up during mating season. When large groups of Gyarados were spotted by ancient sailors they thought the Pokémon had multiple heads and a body hidden underwater. Without the two even noticing they had moved closer together on the sleeping bag. It wasn’t until their hands touched that they noticed how close they’d gotten.

“Oh, sorry.” Ash apologized as he pulled his hand back from Misty’s a bit of red coming to his cheeks.

“It’s ok.” Misty replied with a blush as she looked away shyly.

“Maybe we should head to bed?” Ash offered as he looked at Misty.

“We probably should.” Misty replied as she stood up and headed for her tent. After she crawled inside she turned to look at Ash. “Hey Ash?”

“Yeah Misty?” Ash asked as he looked at her from where he was sitting.

“I liked this tonight. Do you…do you think we could do it again sometime?” Misty asked while smiling shyly pink dusting her cheeks.

“Definitely! I mean…yeah if you want to.” Ash cheered before forcefully calming himself down and trying to reply normally. Misty’s giggling let him know he’d failed in that regard.

“Good night, Ash.” Misty said as she closed her tent and zipped it up.

“Night, Misty.” Ash replied as he got his own sleeping bag brushed off and set up inside his tent. He laid on it, with Pikachu crawling onto the soft bag to sleep, as Ash folded the fluffy bag over the both of them. “Night, Pikachu.”

“Pika…” Pikachu trailed off with a yawn as he curled into a ball and fell asleep.

The next morning the duo had a quick breakfast including a glass of milk each thanks to Misty buying the powdered milk at the Pokemart. After eating, getting dressed for the day and breaking down camp the two friends made their way into Viridian Forest. Misty quickly sprayed herself with a Repel to try and keep the Bug Type Pokémon at bay. As they continued to walk through the forest following the main path Ash was constantly on the lookout for any new Pokémon that he may want to add to his team. Sadly the few Pokémon he’d seen so far had only been a few small Weedle and Caterpie. He knew that Pikachu could sometimes be found in Viridian Forest but since he had his electric buddy he didn’t have any reason to try and track one down. Ash was walking slightly ahead of Misty when she let out a girly scream and ran ahead of him. She then grabbed him to keep him between her and a large green caterpillar-like Pokémon that had crawled out of the bushes.

“Wow that Caterpie looks pretty big!” Ash exclaimed as he pulled out his Pokedex and scanned it. 

“Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon, Caterpie consume leaves rapidly to grow and allow evolution to occur quickly. By breaking down certain plant toxins it is able to release a potent odor to repel predators. This Caterpie is Male, Type Bug. Size suggests it is close to evolution.” Ash's Pokedex intoned.

“Okay then, Poliwag your up!” Ash called out as he threw Poliwag’s Pokeball towards the Caterpie. With a bright light Poliwag materialized in front of the Bug Type.

“Poli!” Poliwag called out as it stared down its’ opponent.

“Use Water Gun!” Ash yelled. Poliwag launched a forceful spray of water at the Caterpie sending the bug tumbling from the force. The Caterpie was rather resilient though as it immediately fired back a String Shot trying to bind Poliwag.

“Roll!” Ash instructed. Poliwag rolled to the right, dodging the String Shot before returning to its’ feet. “Water Gun again!” Another spray of water struck the Caterpie sending it back a bit along the ground. When the Bug Type tried to rise again Ash could see it wouldn’t be able to fight back. “Pokeball go!”

Ash threw one of his Pokeballs at the Caterpie, in a flash of red light the Bug Type was drawn into the Pokeball. Once the ball hit the ground it began to shake. After a few moments the sound of a completed capture was emitted from the ball as Caterpie became Ash’s fourth Pokémon.

As Ash picked up his new Caterpie’s Pokeball he smiled at his success. He turned to face Poliwag and gave it a pat on the head while telling his Water Type what an amazing job it did. Poliwag’s joy could be seen as it jumped up and down and wagged its’ tail. Ash laughed at his Poliwag’s happiness before returning him to his Pokeball.

“Sorry about that,” Misty blushed as she looked down at the ground and rubbed her arm. “It startled me.”

“No worries, Misty! I got a new Pokémon and he is apparently strong for his species! Oh yeah, I better scan him now that he’s my new buddy.” Ash smiled as he pulled out his Pokedex and scanned Caterpie’s Pokeball.

“This Caterpie knows the moves Tackle, String Shot, and Bug Bite.” The Pokedex informed.

“Now what Ability does it have?” Ash wondered as he changed the Pokedex setting to Ability Identifier.

“This Caterpie’s Ability is Shield Dust. Shield Dust prevents secondary effects like paralysis and poisoning from effecting this Pokémon.” The Pokedex explained.

“Cool. That’ll come in handy.” Ash smiled as he let Caterpie out of the Pokeball. Misty quickly took a few steps back from the Bug Type. “Hey Caterpie, my name is Ash and I’d like to be your Trainer from now on. Would you like that?”

“Pie?” Caterpie tilted its’ head as it looked over the human. Ash smiled gently as he held out his hand and it began glowing blue with Aura. “Pie?!” the Bug Type leaned forward in surprise as it examined the calm energy that the human produced. Within a few seconds Caterpie had moved forward and was nuzzling Ash’s hand.

“Hey, that tickles buddy!” Ash chuckled as he pet Caterpie. “Let’s get these injuries healed up.” With a quick shrug of his shoulders Ash dropped his pack before opening a small pocket and pulling out some Oran Berries he’d picked that morning. “Eat these and you’ll feel better soon.”

“Cater!” Caterpie called out as it set about devouring the berries in front of it. Within ten seconds all three Oran Berries had disappeared into Caterpie’s stomach and its’ bruises were visibly healing.

“See? All better!” Ash smiled as the damage disappeared entirely from Caterpie’s body.

“Cat!” Caterpie nodded as it moved around happily.

“Alright, let’s get you some rest. Caterpie, return.” Ash called recalling Caterpie back into its’ Pokeball in a beam of red light. Ash turned towards Misty with a grin as he placed his new Pokeball on his belt. “Ready to keep going?”

“Ready when you are.” Misty nodded as they set off back down the path. The two walked for another couple of hours occasionally seeing more Caterpie and Weedle. They’d run into another Trainer, one of the ‘Bug Catchers’ as they were called among Trainers, but the boy had passed them by after explaining that he was heading out of the forest to heal his Pokémon at the Viridian Pokémon Center. When the two decided to stop for lunch they broke out the quickly consumable food of jerky, trail mix, and dried fruit. Misty was adamant about not being stuck in the forest at night. Ash agreed knowing that Misty was already doing her best to deal with her fear of Bug Types.

Just as the companions were standing up to resume their trek through the forest a large bird landed on the ground opposite of them in the little clearing they stopped for lunch in. The bird Pokémon began to peck at small bugs on the ground before noticing them and glaring and giving a challenging cry.

“That’s awesome!” Ash cheered as he pulled out his Pokedex to scan the bird Pokémon. “I didn’t think we’d see a Pidgeotto!”

“Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokémon and the evolved form of Pidgey. It constructs its’ nests in the center of a large territory. Pidgeotto are expert predators and will use vicious force to defend their territory and members of their flock.” Ash's Pokedex intoned as Ash and Pikachu both stared the Flying Type down.

“You ready, Pikachu?” Ash asked his Starter.

“Pika!” Pikachu cried as he leapt off Ash’s shoulder and stood across from Pidgeotto with sparking cheeks.

“Geo!” Pidgeotto cried back as it spread its’ wings wide.

“Hit it with a Thundershock!” Ash called out as Pikachu sent the bolt of electricity at the Flying Type. Pidgeotto took off from the ground dodging the Electric attack. Pidgeotto circled in the air before diving with white light streaking off its’ body. “That’s Quick Attack, Pikachu dodge!”

“Pika!” Pikachu exclaimed as he tried to avoid the bird only to be slammed into by the Quick Attack and sent rolling.

“Are you ok, Pikachu?” Ash asked his Starter getting a determined reply from his Pokémon. “Wait for it to get close then hit it with Thundershock!” Pikachu didn’t have to wait long as Pidgeotto dived again with another Quick Attack. Pikachu unleashed Thundershock and struck Pidgeotto sending the bird careening away from the Electric Type with a cry of pain. “One more while it’s distracted!” Ash called.

“Pikachu!” Pikachu cried as it launched another Thundershock striking the retreating Flying Type. This shock seemed to do even more damage than the last, causing Pidgeotto to crash down into the dirt as Pikachu slowly approached it.

“Was that a critical hit?” Ash questioned while keeping his eyes on the battle.

“It looked like it. Even with Type advantage Pidgeotto should be able to handle more than two Thundershock attacks from Pikachu.” Misty replied as she stood slightly behind Ash and watched him battle.

Pikachu nudged the downed bird but it barely moved in response. It was clear that Pidgeotto wasn't going anywhere without a potion. Ash quickly threw a Pokeball, which drew the downed bird in and caught it with only a few shakes of resistance.

Misty gave a small applause at Ash’s capture. “That was pretty good, Ash. A critical hit is mostly luck but you captured an evolved Pokémon only a few days into your journey. You should be proud.”

“I’m actually surprised I was able to capture Pidgeotto.” Ash replied before he broke out into a huge smile. “Pikachu you’re awesome buddy!”

“Pika!” Pikachu cheered as he leapt into Ash’s arms and was rewarded with pets and hugs.

“Now let’s see what our new friend knows.” Ash grinned as he scanned the Pokeball.

“This Pidgeotto is Female; known moves are Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack and Whirlwind.” The Pokedex announced.

“Not bad, she probably evolved not too long ago. She’ll definitely be a great teammate.” Ash commented as he switched to find out Pidgeotto’s Ability.

“This Pidgeotto’s Ability is Keen Eye. Keen Eye prevents loss of accuracy and allows this Pokémon to keep track of evasive opponents.” The Pokedex explained. 

Ash couldn’t stop grinning as he let Pidgeotto out of her Pokeball. “Hello Pidgeotto, I’m Ash and if you’d let me I’d like to be your Trainer from now on.”

“Pidge…” Pidgeotto warily locked eyes with the human. Ash crouched down to be on Pidgeotto’s level as he slowly put out his hand and called up his Aura again. “Otto?” the bird Pokémon slowly walked closer examining the energy. A few moments later and Pidgeotto had stopped in front of Ash’s hand. With a gentle peck at the Aura Pidgeotto locked eyes with Ash and gave a trill. “Pidgeotto!”

“Alright, glad to have you girl!” Ash chuckled as he gently stroked Pidgeotto’s head crest. “This will sting a bit but you’ll be fine in a short time.” Ash explained as he pulled a Potion out of a side pocket of his pack. After letting Pidgeotto examine it for a moment Ash sprayed the bird’s injuries. A slight wince was Pidgeotto’s only reaction and within a few moments the singes on the bird’s body were rapidly healing.

“All better?” Ash asked as the damage steadily disappeared from Pidgeotto’s body.

“Geotto!” Pidgeotto trilled as she flapped her wings.

“Great, I’ll have you finish resting in your Pokeball, ok? Pidgeotto, return.” Ash called putting his new Flying Type back into her Pokeball.

With Ash’s second capture in Viridian Forest complete he and Misty continued down the path through the forest. They met another Bug Catcher who challenged Ash to a battle. Unfortunately for the Bug Catcher it wasn’t much of a fight. As soon as the Bug Catcher had declared a one-on-one match and sent out his Caterpie, Misty had promptly taken several steps backwards while still acting as the referee. Ash had sent out his own Caterpie but the size difference between the two Bug Types was huge. Ash’s Caterpie was easily double the size of the Bug Catcher’s. A very quick battle followed where Ash’s Caterpie had bound the opponent’s Caterpie to the ground with String Shot before hitting it twice with Tackle knocking the other Bug Type out. After congratulations were given and the Bug Catcher had complimented Ash’s Caterpie, the Bug Catcher handed Ash his one hundred PokeYen winnings before heading off. Misty then approached Ash to offer her own congratulations.

However, before Misty could congratulate Ash on his victory, his Caterpie began to spray String Shot all over itself. As soon as Caterpie was covered he began to glow with the white light of evolution. As the glow continued Caterpie’s form changed and in the caterpillar’s place now stood a new Pokémon.

“Metapod.” The green cocoon Pokémon called out.

“Alright Metapod, you evolved!” Ash exclaimed as he crouched down to rub the cocoon Pokémon happily.

“Meta.” Metapod replied with an eye smile.

“Well congratulations, Ash. You’ve evolved your first Pokémon.” Misty praised getting a megawatt smile from Ash in return.

“I didn’t think he was so close. But I’m very happy that he evolved. Maybe if he battles a bit more he’ll evolve again soon. Bug Types usually evolve quickly when they battle after all.” Ash pondered as he got out his Pokedex.

“Metapod, the Cocoon Pokémon, Metapod has a steel-hard shell that protects its tender body. It quietly endures hardships while awaiting evolution. This Metapod is Male, Type Bug; known moves are Tackle, String Shot, Bug Bite and Harden.” The Pokedex explained. Ash quickly switched over to identify Metapod’s Ability. “This Metapod’s Ability is Shed Skin. Every so often this Pokémon will shed the outer layer of its shell and remove any status ailment along with it.”

“Hmm, I wonder how often that Ability activates.” Ash wondered as he returned Metapod to his Pokeball. “Well we shouldn’t be too far from the exit now, I’m sure you’re ready to go.” He teased his travelling companion.

“You’re right, so let’s get a move on.” Misty stuck out her tongue while pushing Ash forward. The two walked with Misty spraying another Repel before they fell into casual conversation again. It was only a couple hours before they saw the exit of the forest. But they noticed someone standing next to it in what appeared to be samurai armor.

“Are you a Trainer from Pallet?” The samurai boy questioned as Ash and Misty approached.

“I’m from Pallet Town. Why are you asking?” Ash questioned as he looked at the boy’s get up.

“Your contemporary has dishonored me both in battle and after battle with his dishonorable conduct! As his fellow townsmen, you shall atone for his behavior!” The samurai claimed as he drew his katana and pointed it at the duo in challenge.

“Really, Gary? You’re going to gloat every time you win aren’t you?” Ash muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed at his childhood rival’s actions. “If you’re challenging me to a Pokémon battle then I accept. You don’t need to point a sword at me or my friend to get that.” Ash stated as he glared at the samurai until the boy re-sheathed the blade.

“Very well, I propose a two-on-two battle, do you accept?” The samurai boy asked.

“Sure, my friend Misty will act as referee, any objections?” Ash questioned.

“I have none.” The samurai replied. Misty took her place as referee before stating the conditions of the battle. Seeing both Ash and the samurai boy ready Misty started the match.

“Go, Pinsir! Avenge our honor!” the samurai called out. In a flash of white light, a huge, brown beetle Pokémon with its large, gray crushing pincers glared at Ash while clashing its crushing claws. Ash withdrew his Pokedex for extra information on the Bug Type.

“Pinsir, the Stag Beetle Pokémon. Pinsir are well known to feud with Scyther and Heracross for forest territory. It grips prey with its pincers until the prey is torn in half. What it can't tear, it tosses far.” The Pokedex informed.

“Metapod, you’re up!” Ash called sending out his newly evolved Pokémon.

“Just like that you’ve handed me the first victory, a Metapod cannot move and so is only a target, we will deal with it as one. Pinsir, Vice Grip!” The samurai boy called out. The large, imposing Bug Type moved closer towards the green cocoon, its pincers clacking together ominously as Metapod looked slightly alarmed.

“Use String Shot and tie those pincers together!” Ash called out knowing a little something about the Pinsir species. Metapod released a spray of silk from where it once had a mouth. The sticky thread bound the pincers together and caused both the Bug Type and its samurai trainer to freeze in alarm.

“Impossible! A Metapod can’t stop the strength of a Pinsir!” The samurai yelled.

“I like Pinsir so I studied them back in school. I know that all of their power comes from closing the pincers. The opening power is actually weak enough that a regular person can easily hold them closed.” Ash explained getting the samurai’s eyes to bug out. “Now use, Tackle!” Metapod bounced over to the tied up Pinsir and with a solid lunge into Pinsir's face executed its Tackle. The attack caused the larger Bug Type to stumble before falling backwards.

“What! You won’t win so easily! Pinsir use Seismic Toss!” The samurai called out.

“Don’t let it get back up! Use String Shot until it’s stuck to the ground!” Ash instructed. Metapod quickly began to spray more sticky thread all over the downed Pinsir. The large Bug Type struggled to its feet before attempting to charge. Metapod believed in his Trainer and continued using String Shot to try and stop the Pinsir. The Stag Beetle Pokémon made it about six more steps before its feet stuck to the ground and it fell flat just a few inches in front of Metapod. “Barrage it with Tackle!” Ash called out as his Metapod repeatedly used Tackle against the immobilized Pinsir. After five consecutive Tackle attacks Pinsir stopped struggling against the String Shot and laid on the ground fainted.

“Pinsir is unable to battle! The winner is Metapod!” Misty announced getting the samurai to return his Pinsir.

“You shall be avenged Pinsir, go Metapod!” The samurai called out as he released his own Metapod.

“Uh, Ash, is Metapod glowing?" Misty asked as she pointed over at Ash’s Metapod. Ash turned back to look and to his surprise he saw the glow of evolution surrounding his Pokémon.

“Metapod is evolving!” Ash exclaimed in shock. He watched as his Pokémon morphed while emitting light until the glow died down and a Butterfree stood in Metapod’s place. After evolution Ash’s Bug Type gained large white wings and a purple body with large red eyes and the black wing markings of a male Butterfree. Once the evolution ended the new Butterfree stretched out its wings experimentally before it began flying around.

“Free-free!” Butterfree called out excitedly as he flew around his Trainer. Ash could only laugh and congratulate his Pokémon.

“We are still in the middle of a match! I say we should continue!” The samurai called out getting a nod from Ash.

“Let’s put those new wings to use Butterfree! Use Gust!” Ash exclaimed. With a nod Butterfree began rapidly moving its wings until a spinning gale was launched at the opposing Metapod. The Bug Type was hit by the gale, picked up and thrown through the air from the force before landing and rolling. When everyone could see Metapod again it had swirls in its eyes. Ash and Misty blinked in shock at how fast Butterfree had defeated Metapod before Misty made the call.

“Metapod is unable to battle! The winner is Butterfree!” Misty announced causing the samurai to return his Metapod before he hung his head in defeat.

“That was amazing Butterfree! You were great! Take a nice long rest!” Ash praised his Pokémon before recalling Butterfree to his Pokeball.

“I have been defeated. But I shall not fall to despair. I’ll train harder and someday we may battle again!” The samurai boy stated as he pulled out Ash’s winnings of one hundred PokeYen and handed it over.

“I’ll look forward to it.” Ash responded with a smile as he placed his winnings in his wallet.

“Until we meet again.” The samurai boy nodded as he turned and headed back into the forest.

“What an odd guy.” Ash chuckled as he turned towards Misty.

“Now, onto Pewter City, and away from this forest!” Misty announced very happy to be leaving. She grabbed Ash’s wrist and started speed walking towards the exit. Ash could only laugh at his friend’s antics as they exited the Viridian Forest.

-End Chapter-

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So how was it? Good? Bad? Let me know! So Ash has caught two more Pokémon. They’re canon captures but that’s what my patrons voted for and I’ll work in a few new ones throughout the story! Team rotation will be a thing! Also, romantic star gazing, sure it was between teens who aren’t entirely sure of their feelings for one another but hey, you gotta start somewhere, right?

*!*Important Read Below*!*

I'm still accepting Original Characters from my patrons for this story! Most would be one off trainers that Ash or Misty battle along their journey. But others could be Trainers that impart life lessons onto Ash, Misty, or his other travelling companions! Wouldn’t you like your Original Character to teach Ash an important life lesson? Or just teach Ash how to loosen up and enjoy a party? So be sure to submit some characters! If you make them detailed enough I might be able to do a small mini arc with your character and Ash’s group! 

Some Original Characters could end up filling in some of the new Gym Leader spots that will be in the various Regions! 

I've posted a Character Template to fill out so that I have an easier time integrating the OC into this Alternate Universe of the Pokémon World. Gym Leaders for Kanto only have eight Types left to choose from. Ash will probably only challenge four Gyms besides the eight canon Gyms and Steel Type and Flying Type are two of them. Steel Type already has an OC planned out but Flying Type does not!

Until I get your reviews, later!