Aura Heart Journey Chapter 6 (Patreon)

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is here with a new chapter of Aura Heart Journey! This chapter we see Ash and Misty arrive at Pewter City. Ash starts working for some travelling money while also spending time with Misty. The two also plan out a bit more of their travel plans for the future and acquire new Pokémon! 

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Chapter 6 – Pewter City, Jobs and Ride Pokémon

As Misty speed walked out of Viridian Forest with Ash’s wrist firmly in her grip the orangette sighed in happiness at finally being out of the bug filled woods. Ash chuckled at his friend’s antics but understood her fear of Bug Types. Many people had a fear of a certain species or Type of Pokémon. Misty’s fear wasn’t even that uncommon, especially among girls. 

“Finally out of there!” Misty cheered as she raised both her arms into the air in celebration. The fact that she still held Ash’s wrist in her grasp made the black-haired trainer raise that arm too.

“Yeah, I caught a few good friends too!” Ash joined in with Misty’s celebration. The two both grinned at each other before Misty realized she was still holding Ash’s wrist and pulled back with a small dusting of pink on her cheeks. Ash didn’t notice as he was already looking around the area to see if there were any Pokémon in the area.

“Pewter City is only about an hour walk from here. If we start now we can make it before sundown, sleep in the Pokémon Center and have a good meal too.” Misty spoke up after her small blush died down.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Ash responded as the two friends began to walk along the road again. They spent the walk chatting as had become their routine. Misty had been to Pewter City before and was telling Ash about the various sites around the ‘City of Stone’ as it was called.

“So did you try out the Training Facility in Pewter City, Misty?” Ash asked as they continued to walk along.

“Yeah for a bit, it’s a standard Facility that they have in most cities and towns.” Misty replied. Training Facilities were Pokémon League owned businesses that supported travelling Trainers with the tools and space needed to train a wide variety of Pokémon. Everything from weight lifting, exercise equipment, and even endurance building could be worked on at a Training Facility. Pokémon could also practice their moves there to perfect them and even learn new moves with the help of Technical Machines, also called TMs. This was all for a fairly inexpensive cost, except for the TM use. If you wanted the Facility to provide the means to quickly help a Pokémon learn a new move you would be paying for it. Depending on the move in question the price changed. Some moves would only cost five thousand or ten thousand PokeYen. But more powerful moves or moves with great utility could go anywhere from fifteen thousand all the way up to fifty thousand.

“Hmm, I’ll need to make use of the Facility to train for my Gym battle. But at the moment I only have forty three hundred PokeYen. It’s usually five hundred PokeYen a day to use the Facility if I remember correctly.” Ash mused as he thought about what to do to get his Pokémon the training they’d need to be ready for a Gym battle.

“You could always take a Pokémon Job. There are always a few Jobs available on the board in the Trainer Lounge at the Pokémon Center.” Misty suggested as she looked at her friend. Pokémon Jobs were requests put up either by local residents or in some cases the Pokémon League itself. They ranged from simple tasks such as taking care of another person’s Pokémon for a short time all the way up to catching violent wild Pokémon to protect people and other Pokémon. The Jobs were also divided up by Trainer Level so a Beginner or a Rookie wouldn’t be allowed to try and hunt down and capture a powerful violent Pokémon.

“That’s true. A couple of Jobs could get me a good amount of PokeYen. Pewter City does have a mining history and I’m sure if you found an Evolution Stone you’d be paid for it. Not to mention that some Jobs are short so you can do multiple Jobs in a day.” Ash considered while walking.

“So, Ash, how long are you planning to travel before entering the Indigo League?” Misty asked a few minutes later as they got closer to Pewter City.

“Ideally I’d like to enter this year’s League in eleven months. It would be a good way to test myself and show how strong my Pokémon are. Getting my name out there as a first year Trainer that made it to the Regional League would also be good.” Ash replied as he scratched behind Pikachu’s ears.

“You also said you wanted to challenge more than eight Gyms, right?” Misty questioned before taking a sip from her canteen.

“Yeah, I think ten or twelve Badges would get my Pokémon enough experience and training that we could do well in the League. Why?” Ash wondered as he looked to his friend.

“Well it’ll take a while to travel that much of the Kanto Region on foot. You may not be able to make it before the League starts. Have you thought of getting a bike or some other form of transportation to speed up the time spent travelling between locations by a day or two?” Misty inquired getting a contemplative look from Ash.

“Not really, though I see your point. But I can’t exactly afford a bike right now.” Ash responded.

“What about a Pokémon? There are several species that can be taught to be Ride Pokémon. Plus even if you use them for transport they can still be trained for battle too.” Misty explained.

“A Ride Pokémon would be useful. You still get the experience of travelling the wilds that you miss out on in a car or while flying, but you get to where you’re going a bit faster as well. But I don’t think there are many Pokémon species around Pewter that can be Ride Pokémon.” Ash mused as he thought about the various species that were native to the area.

“True, though you could look into the local Breeder’s Association. They might have one you could buy. It would probably be a bit expensive but not nearly as much as a bike that’s good enough to handle all-terrain riding and will last for more than a year or so.” Misty replied.

“The idea has promise, but what about you? If I can afford a Ride Pokémon as a mount for transport I wouldn’t want to make you walk and try to keep up.” Ash stated seriously not liking the idea of leaving Misty behind.

“I’ve been a Trainer for nine months now Ash. I’ve saved up a good amount of PokeYen from the battles I’ve had and the Tournaments I won. I’ll definitely have to dip into those savings but I should be able to afford a Ride Pokémon without much trouble.” Misty replied with a smile feeling warm inside seeing how much Ash wanted her to travel with him. 

“Oh, right, that makes sense.” Ash chuckled while Pikachu tilted his head confused about the conversation. “Well between training for the Pewter Gym, doing Jobs, and shopping we can definitely check out the local Breeder’s Association. I’m kind of curious about what they might have in stock now.” The two friends continued chatting for the remainder of the walk to Pewter as the sun began to set. The town came into view as the sky was painted orange by the descending sun. The two entered the city shortly afterwards.

Ash and Misty made their way to the Pokémon Center to get rooms for the duration of their stay in Pewter City. They walked up to the front desk and placed their Pokeballs into two of the trays stacked on the desk. Ash noticed the Nurse Joy raising a pink eyebrow when she counted the amount of Pokeballs. 

"Five Pokémon already?" Nurse Joy asked as she looked him over. "That's pretty good for a Beginner."

“How can you tell I’m a Beginner?” Ash asked the Nurse.

“I’ve been a Pokémon Nurse for quite a while. You eventually develop a knack for estimating a Trainer’s Level.” Nurse Joy smiled in response. “We’ll take care of your Pokémon for the evening. Would you like any special services done for them?”

“Yes, can I get them fed both tonight and in the morning?” Ash asked getting a nod from the nurse.

“Of course for five Pokémon that’ll be one thousand PokeYen.” Nurse Joy replied. Ash nodded before handing over the money. Misty stepped up next and requested the same care and feeding for her own Pokémon. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" the nurse asked as she handed the trays with the Pokeballs to the Chansey next to her.

"Yes, I was wondering where the local branch of the Breeders Association is?" Ash asked the pink haired nurse as the Chansey took their two trays of Pokeballs into the back.

"It’s in the northeast of town." Nurse Joy replied. "If you head towards the museum and then take a right you’ll find it at the end of the road."

“Thanks Nurse Joy.” The two friends nodded getting a smile back.

“Will you two being needing rooms tonight?” Nurse Joy inquired.

“Yes please.” Misty responded getting a nod from the nurse. After checking Misty’s ID and getting payment for the night, Nurse Joy handed over a key card for Misty’s room. Ash went next and after parting with another two thousand PokeYen he was given his own key card.

“Please enjoy your evening.” Nurse Joy smiled and bowed.

“I don’t know about you but I’m heading up to my room for a shower.” Misty stated to Ash as the two walked away from the desk.

“A shower sounds nice actually.” Ash replied with a nod. “Then some dinner and I’ll check out what Jobs are available in the Trainer’s Lounge.”

“I’ll meet you down in the cafeteria for dinner.” Misty smiled getting a grin from Ash. The two parted ways to go to their individual rooms. After a shower and changing into some new clothes for the evening, a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt for Ash while Misty wore a baggy t-shirt and cotton shorts that went down to just above her knees, the duo met up at the cafeteria for dinner. After eating the duo headed for the Trainer’s Lounge to check out the Jobs available. Ash perused the board for Beginner Level Trainers to try and find some Jobs that would earn him a decent amount of PokeYen.

“I’ll try these three tomorrow.” Ash nodded as he took down a copy of each Job that he wanted to try. The first was simple and only required him and his Poliwag to help repair a small private pond owned by one of the residents of Pewter City. Poliwag could easily dive down and patch up the damaged section and it would net him five thousand PokeYen. The second Job he took down was for a sparring match for a local Trainer’s Machop. Apparently the Trainer was looking after his friend’s Fighting Type and wanted another Fighting Type to spar with it. As the Machop was still fairly young a Beginner Trainer was being requested. Completing this Job would get him four thousand PokeYen. The final Job would take the longest but could possibly net him the biggest windfall. Pewter City had some open pit mines on the outskirts of the city. They allowed travelling Trainers to dig these rocky mines in search of rare minerals and other items. The Pewter City mines were known to still have Evolution Stones found buried deep in the rocks. Mostly Moon Stones based on the closeness of Mt. Moon. But several others had been found over the years as well. Not to mention items that the research teams at Pewter City Museum would pay for such as fossils, shards, and the like. A few years back a large gem known as a Comet Shard had been found by a miner and it had sold for an impressive sixty thousand PokeYen.

“So what did you decide on, Ash?” Misty questioned when Ash sat down across from her in the Lounge area.

“These three are what I’m doing tomorrow.” Ash replied as he handed Misty the papers. Misty looked over them nodding at Ash’s choices.

“Not bad picks, Ash. These first two shouldn’t take more than an hour or two. Digging the mines is also potentially profitable. The fact that the only thing you’re required to sell is gemstones and rare metals is a boon for Trainers that are looking to find Evolution Stones. I might join you for this tomorrow, I could find a Water Stone if I get lucky.” Misty said as she handed the papers back to Ash.

“Sure thing, Misty. According to the paper Mine Number Six is currently closed to the public. Apparently a Trainer dug up a Gold Nugget and the mining company has its’ professional miners excavating the area to try and find more gold. But that still leaves the other five mines open to everyone.” Ash informed as he read through the rest of the paper. 

“Sounds fair, the mining company has to make money too. Plus they let Trainers keep everything else to sell for profit so you can’t really begrudge the company for keeping gold and gemstones for themselves.” Misty shrugged while Ash nodded. Shortly afterwards the two headed to their rooms to sleep for the night.

-Next Morning-

“Morning, Ash.” Misty smiled as she met Ash in the cafeteria for breakfast.

“Morning, Misty.” Ash replied as he looked her outfit for the day over. A white tank top that hugged her body while leaving her midriff bare and a different pair of jean shorts that had a white wave pattern worked into the denim. “That’s a nice outfit.”

“Thanks, I loved these shorts when I saw them in the store so I had to buy a pair.” Misty blushed as she enjoyed Ash’s compliment. The two ate breakfast while discussing their individual plans for the day. Ash was of course going to do the three jobs he’d picked out last night, while Misty was planning to use the Training Facility and get her Poliwag started on more intense training. They would meet up for lunch at the Pokémon Center before heading out to the mine together. After a few hours mining they would stop by the Breeders Association to look at Ride Pokémon.

“See you at lunch, Misty.” Ash said as the two parted ways at the Pokémon Center.

“See you then, Ash.” Misty smiled as she waved back at her friend and headed off towards the Training Facility.

It wasn’t much trouble for Ash’s Poliwag to fix the damaged section of the Pewter resident’s pond. Apparently all the mud and underwater plants as well as the edge of the pond on one side had been damaged when the older man’s Whiscash had been attacked by a large wild Fearow. The Whiscash had thrashed and beaten back the Fearow but damaged the pond in the process. In just under two hours of Ash and Poliwag making mud, then having Poliwag re-cover the bottom of the pond with it, Ash was handing Poliwag the new plants to be planted on the bottom to finish the Job. The side of the pond had been filled in with dirt and new sod by Ash while Poliwag replanted the pond bed. Ash happily accepted his five thousand PokeYen and returned Poliwag to his Pokeball before heading off to the next job.

Meeting the local Trainer and the Machop he was caring for had been easy enough. Without much preamble Ash had called out Riolu to spar with the Machop. The two Fighting Types had gone at each other for about two hours before they both fell back and started laughing at the fun they’d had. Riolu had even learned how to perform Force Palm during the course of the two hour long spar. Ash was beaming at his Fighting Type in pride. Force Palm was a great Fighting Type move and would be invaluable when they challenged the Pewter City Gym. Collecting the four thousand PokeYen and recalling Riolu to rest in his Pokeball Ash headed off to the Pokémon Center to meet Misty for lunch.

“So how’s your morning been, Misty?” Ash asked as the two sat down to eat together.

“Not bad at all. Poliwag did great with her training and even learned a new move.” Misty smiled happily.

“Really? What move did she learn?” Ash questioned as he sipped his drink.

“Bubble, it has about the same power as Water Gun but can also hinder an opponent’s movement and slow them down.” Misty replied getting a nod from Ash.

“Sounds like something my Poliwag will learn once we get some really good training in.” Ash mused thinking about his own Water Type.

“What about you, Ash? How did your Jobs go?” Misty asked before taking a bite of her lunch.

“Pretty good, I’m nine thousand PokeYen richer and Riolu learned how to use Force Palm.” Ash smiled.

“That’ll be useful for your Gym battle.” Misty commented getting a nod from Ash. The two finished their lunch before heading out to the Pewter City pit mines. Upon arriving and showing their IDs the two were informed they could use their Pokémon to help dig and that they were allowed to enter Mine Number Four. The two thanked the attendant and preceded to the designated mine. After picking up shovels, hard hats and work gloves the two looked for a spot not currently occupied. Mine Number Four was currently almost half full of Trainers and the two had to walk for a while before they found a free area to start digging. Ash released Riolu and asked him for help with digging which Riolu happily started doing. Pikachu had also jumped down from Ash’s shoulder and started digging next to Riolu, the two Pokémon quickly making a fairly large hole in the ground.

“Welp, let’s get digging!” Ash exclaimed as he took his shovel and started digging. Misty giggled at his exuberance before starting to dig herself. For almost an hour they found nothing of value, just rocks and dirt, a sudden call from Pikachu and Riolu changed that as the two Pokémon climbed out of their hole and brought something over to Ash.

“What did you guys find?” Ash asked as Pikachu and Riolu both placed something in Ash’s hand. Looking down Ash was happy to see a few fairly large Red Shards. Shards were pieces of ancient stone and clay works such as tablets and pottery that could be found in many places around the world. Most were only small fragments and not very valuable but larger Shards that were more complete could be sold for more. Ash was no archaeologist but he wouldn’t be surprised if the three Red Shards his Pokémon had brought him sold for about five hundred PokeYen a piece. Just by putting the Red Shards next to each other Ash could tell these Shards had once been part of a larger tablet. 

“Great work you two. These are a great find. Can you keep digging and see if you can find more?” Ash asked his Pokémon getting cheers from Pikachu and Riolu as they ran back to their hole and resumed digging.

“Oh, I think I found something.” Misty called out from her position several feet away. Ash turned to look at her when he saw her reach down and pull something out of the hole she’d dug. A slightly rough gray stone was held in Misty’s hand. “I can feel some Aura in this. This is a Moon Stone, isn’t it?” she asked as Ash walked over.

“Yeah, that’s definitely a Moon Stone.” Ash confirmed after looking the stone over and feeling the traces of Aura within the rock. “Good find Misty. You can keep this to evolve a Pokémon or sell it for around two thousand PokeYen.”

“I might sell it. There aren’t any Water Types that evolve with a Moon Stone.” Misty contemplated as she placed the stone into the bag the mining company had provided them. It would be inspected to make sure that gemstones and precious metals were being sold to the company and not taken out of the mine. Several more minutes of digging led to no more discoveries so Ash and Misty switched to new spots. Pikachu and Riolu had found another large Red Shard that appeared to go with the three they’d found earlier and Ash had praised them with head pats and an Oran Berry for each of them.

“Hey, what’s this?” Ash wondered as his shovel struck something besides dirt and rocks. Reaching down Ash brushed the dirt away from the item and was surprised to see what appeared to be a fossilized bone. “Hmm, it’s not any fossil I’ve ever heard of. But it looks pretty old. Maybe it belongs to a different ancient Pokémon?”

“That’s what they call a Rare Bone.” Misty spoke up from her digging area. Ash looked over to his friend confused.

“A what?” Ash asked.

“A Rare Bone. Paleontologists don’t know what species they come from because they’re so rare, so whenever one is found they’re willing to pay a good amount for them so they can study the bones. I’m sure you could sell that at the Pewter Museum for around ten thousand PokeYen.” Misty explained as she took a small break from digging.

“Oh cool!” Ash exclaimed as he carefully picked up the bone and placed it into the mining bag. The two resumed digging for a while Pikachu and Riolu hadn’t found anything else yet and were taking a break in the shade. Misty had found another Moon Stone and placed it into the bag with the first one. Ash hadn’t found anything else since the Rare Bone and was getting ready to switch spots. The group of two humans and two Pokémon were getting ready to call it a day when Ash struck something else. Bending down to brush the dirt and small rocks away Ash came face to face with a blue rock that appeared to have bubbles in it. The Aura he could feel in the stone instantly proved what he’d found.

“A Water Stone.” Ash mumbled as he picked it up and looked at it. “I know someone that would love this.” He chuckled to himself as he put the stone behind his back and walked over to Misty.

“Did you find something Ash?” Misty asked as she watched Ash walk up to her.

“Yep, hold out your hands and close your eyes.” Ash grinned as he kept the Water Stone hidden behind his back.

“Okay, but you better not be messing with me.” Misty warned as she closed her eyes and held out her hands. Ash chuckled as he gently placed the Water Stone in Misty’s hands.

“You can open your eyes now.” Ash said. Misty opened her eyes and looked at what Ash had placed in her hands.

“A Water Stone!” Misty yelled happily at seeing the Evolution Stone. “You found one?” she asked as she looked the stone over.

“Yeah just a minute ago.” Ash replied. “Consider it a gift.”

“Wait are you serious?” Misty questioned as she looked between Ash and the Evolution Stone.

“Of course, I want you to have it Misty.” Ash smiled at the orangette.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Misty repeated as she suddenly wrapped her arms around Ash and hugged him. Ash blushed at feeling Misty pressed up against him but gently returned the hug. Misty pulled back slowly a moment later her face completely red since she realized what she’d done. “I…I really appreciate it Ash. Thank you so much.” She thanked him while still blushing.

“Don’t mention it, Misty, like I said I want you to have it.” Ash replied his own face still a bit red. Misty smiled at him, a bright and glowing look that made Ash feel warm inside. He’d have to make sure to keep Misty happy like this just so he could see this smile more often. Ash recalled Riolu and let Pikachu climb back up onto his shoulder before picking up their mining bag and heading back towards the attendant’s area. Misty followed behind with both shovels and the two were quickly checked over and their found items given to them. As they left Misty couldn’t help but take out her new Water Stone and think about which Pokémon she could use it on.

“There’s always Staryu if it wants to evolve. But I could use it on Poliwag once she evolves into Poliwhirl if she wants to become a Poliwrath. There is also Shellder to consider, I’ve wanted to catch one of them for a while now.” Misty mused as she looked over the blue stone.

“Decisions, decisions, right?” Ash chuckled as he watched Misty contemplate how to use the Water Stone.

“Always, when it comes to Water Types I have trouble deciding.” Misty grinned at her friend.

“You could potentially hold out for an Eevee too. A Vaporeon is a good Water Type to have.” Ash mused.

“That would be amazing!” Misty exclaimed with stars in her eyes, already imagining having a Vaporeon of her own. Ash chuckled at the cute scene as Misty was lost in her daydream.

The two headed for the Pewter City Breeder’s Association and during their walk Ash could have sworn that Misty was walking a bit closer to him than normal. But he put that out of his mind as just wishful thinking when the place they were looking for came into view. It was a fairly large building with a massive outdoor space for Pokémon to roam around in. It had fences marking off certain areas for specific Pokémon and Ash could see a few Pokémon that could qualify as Ride Pokémon from the gate. The two walked into the building and were greeted by the receptionist, a pretty older woman with black hair and kind eyes.

“Can I help you?” She asked politely.

“Yes, ma’am. We’re looking to purchase a pair of Ride Pokémon if possible.” Ash responded.

“Alright I’ll need to see your IDs and then I’ll call Lawrence. He’s our Ride Pokémon Breeder. He’ll show you the Pokémon we currently have available.” The receptionist explained as Ash and Misty presented their IDs. A few seconds of entering their information into her computer later and a man walked out of the back and motioned them to follow him.

“Hello young Trainers, my name is Lawrence and I’m a Pokémon Breeder that specializes in breeding Ride Pokémon.” Lawrence introduced himself. He was an older man, probably in his mid-thirties with light brown hair and gentle brown eyes. “Do you have any Pokémon you’re looking for in particular?”

“Not really, a Pokémon that’s easy to control and can handle covering good distance with a rider is all we’ve talked about.” Misty replied.

“I see, well we can definitely accommodate that request. Let’s start off with something popular.” Lawrence smiled as he led them outside and stopped by a fence that was full of Ponyta and a few Rapidash. “A lot of Kanto Trainers choose Ponyta for their endurance and high speed. They can usually get you from one town to the next within a day so they’ve always been very popular.”

“I wouldn’t mind a Fire Type, but I’ve heard Ponyta are competitive by nature. If we have a pair wouldn’t they try racing each other?” Ash asked as he watched a few Ponyta start racing one another at the other end of the enclosure.

“True enough, Ponyta often compete against each other to see which is the fastest.” Lawrence mused as he looked over the herd. “Many something less inclined to racing?”

“That might be for the best.” Misty nodded as the trio walked further down the path. They stopped at a paddock that housed a few Doduo and even three Dodrio.

“These Doduo are fast but not inclined to competition like the Ponyta. They have a lower weight capacity though so you can’t have both a person and a heavy pack at the same time. They can only handle so much before they’ll toss something off.” Lawrence explained as he got one of the Doduo to come closer and let Ash and Misty pet the large fluffy bird.

“I carry a pretty large pack. I’m not sure if Doduo would be willing to put up with that much weight.” Ash commented as he pet the Doduo in front of him. Misty nodded as she continued to pet the Flying Type. Ash carried a larger pack than she did and it might be too much for a Doduo when you added Ash’s weight on top of it.

“Alright, we’ll keep looking.” Lawrence smiled as he patted the Doduo on the head and the three resumed walking. They looked at a paddock with a few Growlithe pups all snuggling up to an Arcanine. Misty thought they were adorable but Ash realized the issue immediately.

“These Growlithe are newborns, right?” Ash questioned as he watched the Arcanine lick one of the pups.

“Correct, Arcanine are incredible Ride Pokémon but they’re costly because Growlithe require a Fire Stone to evolve. Arcanine can handle most any terrain and can support a high weight load while still maintaining near top speed. Unfortunately we only have our mother Arcanine and her newest litter of pups right now so I’m afraid they aren’t available.” Lawrence explained getting nods of understanding from Misty and Ash. The next paddock they stopped at only had two Pokémon inside. Ash didn’t recognize them off the top of his head so got out his Pokedex to scan them.

“Skiddo, the Mount Pokémon; Thought to be one of the first Pokémon to live in harmony with humans, it has a placid disposition. If it has sunshine and water, it doesn’t need to eat, because it can generate energy from the leaves on its back.” The Pokedex intoned in its’ computerized voice. “Skiddo are native to the Kalos Region and have a long history as both agricultural Pokémon and Battling Pokémon.”

“They’re cute!” Misty gushed at the two Goat Pokémon, watching them wander around while nibbling at the grass in the paddock.

“We’ve had these two for a few months now. A farm over by Celadon City wanted a large amount of Gogoat and Skiddo. They have the backing of Celadon City’s Gym Leader, Erika so we and the Breeders Association Facility in Celadon took on the project. Unfortunately we were a bit too successful and ended up having these two as extras. I’ve raised them up as Ride Pokémon and they do their heritage proud. They’re incredibly friendly with people and other Pokémon and can carry heavy loads for long distances. If you want them to battle they have no problems doing so. Both seem to enjoy battle as much as any Skiddo so they’re great all around.” Lawrence explained as the two Skiddo noticed the humans and walked over to inspect the two new people.

“Why hasn’t anyone bought them? They sound great.” Ash wondered as he pet one of the Skiddo over the fence. Misty was giggling as the Skiddo she was petting nuzzled into her hand.

“Lack of knowledge mostly; many Kanto Trainers haven’t seen a Skiddo before and so they’re hesitant to rely on one for transport. They feel more comfortable with a Ponyta or Tauros, a Pokémon they have more information about.” Lawrence explained.

“I like them. They may not be Water Types but they’re adorable.” Misty grinned as she continued to pet the Skiddo.

“I think they’d be perfect. Though these two do look bigger than the one in the Pokedex.” Ash mentioned as he stroked the Skiddo’s back.

“Well since we’ve had them so long I’ve had time to work with them more than normal. They’ve grown from the extra care and given another month or so of good training I wouldn’t be surprised if they evolved into Gogoat.” Lawrence chuckled as he watched the Skiddo interact with Ash and Misty.

“What do you think, Misty?” Ash asked his friend as he watched her play with the Skiddo.

“I want them.” Misty smiled at him as she played with the Skiddo’s ears. Ash grinned back at her as he patted Skiddo’s head.

“Well Lawrence, how much are these two?” Ash asked the Breeder as he turned to face the man.

“Since they were extras and no one has shown interest in them for a few months I think a fair price for Skiddo of this age and development would be ten thousand PokeYen each.” Lawrence replied as he led Ash and Misty back towards the building.

“Can we draw up a contract of sale now and pick them up in a couple of hours? I need to sell some of the items we dug up in the mines to purchase Skiddo.” Ash explained to Lawrence as they sat in the Breeder’s office.

“We can do that. I’m glad to see that someone else appreciates those two for how great they are.” Lawrence smiled as he pulled out two blank sales contracts. After filling out the documents Ash and Misty made their way out of the Breeders Association Building and headed for the Pewter Museum to sell Ash’s Rare Bone and Red Shards. They’d sell Misty’s Moon Stones at the Pokemart afterwards and she’d use the ATM there to withdraw the rest of the money from her savings.

-At the Pewter Museum-

“Where did you say you found this?” The paleontologist they’d been led to see by an intern asked.

“Mine Number Four. I found it on the southwest side of the bottom level.” Ash explained as he and Misty watched the scientist look the Rare Bone over.

“It’s in very good condition; we may actually be able to find more bones this time. It would be a breakthrough in paleontology to finally be able to piece this ancient Pokémon together.” The scientist remarked as he gently set the bone down. “Let’s not beat around the bush. I’m willing and authorized to offer you ten thousand PokeYen for this specimen. Are you willing to part with it for that much?”

“That sounds fair. I accept.” Ash stated as the scientist’s face lit up in joy.

“Wonderful, wonderful! Let me just call the finance department and your payment will be waiting at the front desk.” The paleontologist exclaimed as he picked up his phone. A quick conversation and the scientist hung the phone up. “It’s been wonderful meeting you Mr. Ketchum and you as well Ms. Waterflower.” He stated as he shook both of their hands. “Now I must be going, we have a site to secure in Mine Number Four!” With that said the man gently collected the Rare Bone and walked out of the meeting room while shouting for an intern to call the Pewter Mining Company to reserve a place in Mine Number Four. A short wait later and the next scientist they were meeting entered the room. This man was an archeologist and was here to buy Ash’s Red Shards. After greetings were made Ash laid out the four large Shards and the scientist put on a pair of disposable gloves as he examined them. After placing them together to form what appeared to be maybe a quarter of a stone tablet the scientist looked up at them.

“A very good find you have here, Mr. Ketchum. You don’t often find matching Shards like this. There appears to be some faint writing left on two of these Shards as well. It’ll take much research to find out what they say but that’s what we archeologists live for.” The scientist smiled as he looked the four Red Shards over appraisingly. “I’d offer you twenty two hundred PokeYen for all four.”

“I accept; I hope you’re able to translate them.” Ash smiled kindly as he shook hands with the scientist after the man had removed the disposable gloves. After carefully packing the Shards away the scientist made a phone call and once he hung up he informed Ash that both payments would be waiting for him at the front desk. Misty and Ash quickly collected his payments and made their way to the Pokemart. 

-At the Pokemart-

It was quick and easy to sell the two Moon Stones to the Pokemart. Misty was four thousand PokeYen richer and the clerk was humming happily as he placed both Evolution Stones into the display case. A stop by the ATM and Misty had the ten thousand she needed to purchase her Skiddo.

“Let’s go, Ash!” Misty exclaimed happily as she practically dragged him behind her towards the Breeders Association Building. Ash only laughed at Misty’s enthusiasm.

-Breeders Association-

It was easy to pay for both of the Skiddo since Lawrence had already drawn up the sales contracts beforehand. Within a few minutes Ash and Misty were handed both of the Skiddo’s Pokeballs and both Skiddo had been fitted with a saddle on their back.

“The saddle comes with the Pokémon. Since they’re Ride Pokémon they have a specially made saddle that can be absorbed by the Pokeball when they are.” Lawrence explained as he watched Ash and Misty pet their new Pokémon.

“Can we ride them out?” Misty asked as her Skiddo was happily standing beside her as if offering her a ride already. Ash’s Skiddo was doing much the same.

“Of course, just let me explain how to ride them first.” Lawrence chuckled as he went through how the Skiddo had been trained to be ridden and how to direct them to where you wanted to go or which direction you wanted them to move in. It was with laughter and joy that Ash and Misty rode their new Skiddo into Pewter City and towards the Pokémon Center several minutes later. Both teens enjoying the ease of control the Skiddo responded to and how quick the Goat Pokémon were.

“Best decision ever!” Ash cheered as he and Misty rode through the city streets as the sun began to set.

-End Chapter-

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There we go! Another chapter written and Ash has another friend and now a mount! Travelling will pick up a bit from here as Skiddo takes over for the long stretches! I hope everyone has enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next!

*!*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!