Aura Heart Journey Chapter 14 (Patreon)

 Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Aura Heart Journey! Onward to Route Fifty! This is the longest Route in Kanto! By foot it takes at least a full week to walk it! But Ash and Misty don’t have that problem thanks to their Skiddo! Who will they meet? Will they capture new Pokémon?

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Chapter 14 – Route 50, Gather in the Wild

“Ready to head out, Ash?” Misty asked as the couple finished packing up their packs for the trip along Route Fifty. They’d already restocked at the Pokémart for supplies for both them and their Pokémon earlier in the morning. All that was left was to turn in their room key to Nurse Joy and head out of Copper Town.

“Yep, I’ve got everything, let’s go.” Ash confirmed as he hefted his pack onto his back. The couple left their room and headed down into the lobby. The room key was quickly handed over and Nurse Joy thanked them politely. Ash and Misty left the Pokémon Center and smiled at the nice weather, it was perfect for travelling.

“Ah, smell that spring air, it’s going to be a good day!” Misty declared and Ash chuckled with a nod. The two released their Skiddo from their Pokéballs and made sure that their saddles were secure.

“You two ready for a day of travel?” Ash asked getting happy bleats from both of the Goat Pokémon. With pets and scratches of appreciation Ash and Misty mounted their Ride Pokémon and set off towards Route Fifty. A few short minutes later the couple were passing through the city gate and exiting Copper Town.

“Later you two!” Ash waved to the two Steelix Protectors as they rode away from the gate. The two massive Steelix only gave a short glance at the two Trainers before going back to their guarding.

“Let’s pick up the pace a little bit; Route Fifty is the longest in Kanto after all.” Misty reminded as she urged her Skiddo forward.

“Sure thing.” Ash agreed as he had his Skiddo match Misty’s pace. The couple rode through the Route at a comfortable pace for their Skiddo. The two Goat Pokémon were happily stretching their legs as they made their way down the long Route. In the first two hours of their trip the couple kept their eyes open for any Pokémon they may want to catch. During this time they kept up pleasant conversation and discussed future training for their Pokémon. The first thing they saw of note that day was another Trainer riding a Rhyhorn heading their way.

“Morning.” The Rhyhorn rider nodded to the couple as they passed each other on the road.

“Good morning.” Ash and Misty nodded back as they continued on. A few minutes later and the couple were talking about the list of potential Ride Pokémon to pass the time.

“I knew that Rhyhorn were used as Ride Pokémon, mostly because of their endurance and stamina. They’ll keep moving along without issue as long as their stomach is full and they’re hydrated.” Ash stated and Misty nodded thoughtfully.

“I’ve heard of some people even riding well trained Persian and Houndoom. Though since they’re both grassland Pokémon they probably couldn’t carry a rider up cliffs or mountainous terrain.” Misty mused and Ash pulled out his Pokédex to look up the two species average size and weight.

“Hmm, they’d have to be a lot bigger than average to be used as Ride Pokémon. The average Persian is only about thirty-two kilograms in weight, since they’re mostly muscle if you doubled that they’d probably be able to carry an adult without much trouble. Houndoom is a bit bigger than a Persian but would still need to pack on near double the average amount of muscle to be able to comfortably carry around an adult.” Ash informed as he looked over the information. “They’d definitely need to be well trained to be Ride Pokémon.”

“I’ve heard riding Stantler in Johto isn’t uncommon.” Misty stated and Ash nodded back.

“I’ve heard of that too.” Ash replied. “I wonder if that would be similar to riding Skiddo.”

“Maybe, though it may not be as comfortable.” Misty praised her Skiddo as she patted him on the head.

“Ski!” Misty’s Skiddo bleated happily.

“You may be right.” Ash chuckled as he patted his own Skiddo getting a happy bleat as well. The two continued chatting as they rode along the Route until the sun was high in the sky.

“Hmm, I’d say it’s about lunch time.” Misty grinned at her boyfriend.

“I could eat.” Ash agreed as they looked for a clear area to set up for lunch. They found a suitable spot about ten minutes later and released their Pokémon for food. “Pikachu let’s get some firewood, buddy.”

“Pika!” Pikachu nodded and jumped off Ash’s shoulder to start looking for dry fallen sticks. While Ash and Pikachu looked for firewood Misty easily set out bowls for their Pokémon and filled them with Type Specific food. The group of Pokémon quickly set about eating and both of their Skiddo were happily munching on grass and brush around the clearing. Misty looked around before using her Aura to gather a large ball of water between her hands.

“Skiddo, come get some water, you two have been carrying us all morning.” Misty offered and both of the Goat Pokémon moved towards her and started to drink from the ball of water Misty was maintaining. Once the two Ride Pokémon had their fill Misty offered water to the rest of their Pokémon. Ash and Pikachu returned while the Pokémon were taking turns getting water. Quickly getting the fire pit made, Ash ignited the firewood with Fire Aura and started pulling out some of the food they’d bought this morning in Copper Town.

“How’s fried ham and egg sandwiches sound for lunch?” Ash asked Misty as Pikachu ran over to his bowl of Electric Type food and started stuffing his cheeks.

“Add some fresh greens to them and they’ll be great!” Misty cheered as she pulled out some of her own food.

“Sure thing, Misty.” Ash laughed as he pulled out a wrapped package of Grumpig ham and opened the small container that carried the eggs. Misty had shown him the Ice Aura trick she used to chill food down to almost frozen so that it could be preserved for a day or two. His girlfriend was amazing and just thinking about her brought a smile to his face. Ash sprayed the skillet with some cooking spray he’d gotten at the Pokémart and laid a few pieces of ham on the skillet. The sizzle of cooking meat soon followed and Ash delighted in the smell. Cracking the eggs into the skillet right after the ham finished cooking was the next step.

“Plates are ready, Ash.” Misty called and Ash looked away from the skillet to see Misty had two plates set out on a small picnic blanket. Each plate had two slices of bread on them which Misty had already placed the cooked ham on. On the side of the plates were fresh lettuce and spinach leaves waiting to be added to their sandwiches.

“Just a little bit longer, Misty.” Ash replied as he watched over the eggs. Another minute of cooking and Ash used his spatula to remove the cooked eggs and place them onto a waiting sandwich. The couple smiled at each other as they placed the lettuce and spinach leaves onto their own sandwich before taking the first bite.

“Mmm, not bad at all.” Misty complimented her boyfriend.

“They came out pretty good.” Ash agreed as he took another bite. The sandwiches were finished shortly and the couple set about cleaning the skillet and plates. Once the dishes were finished and put away bathroom breaks were taken in turns, as usual for them, before they both returned to the picnic blanket.

“I think we can take a little longer here. The Pokémon are definitely enjoying themselves.” Misty commented as they watched their Pokémon play around.

“No argument from me.” Ash grinned as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. Misty giggled as she laid her head on his shoulder and snuggled close.

“I didn’t think you’d mind.” Misty smiled as she enjoyed the nice weather with her boyfriend. Ash sighed contently as he gently rested his head atop Misty’s breathing in her scent. The two felt their Auras entwine again and cuddled closer, both happy being close and watching their Pokémon play around. Ash grinned mischievously as he slowly lowered them back into lying down on the picnic blanket.

“Ash?” Misty questioned as she lay beside her boyfriend. “What’re you planning?” She asked with a teasing lilt in her voice.

“Nothing…” Ash trailed off before kissing her cheek softly. Misty grinned before turning her head to catch her boyfriend’s lips in a soft kiss.

“Nothing, huh?” Misty teased as she pulled back from the kiss. The loving, happy gaze Ash looked at her with made her heart flutter and she couldn’t hold back her own smile. “What if I want something?” She questioned as she sat up so she could look over at him.

“Then I’ll give it to you.” Ash replied softly the look in his eyes never changing. Misty couldn’t help but bask in that look and the emotions she felt from Ash through their entwined Auras. The orangette straddled her boyfriend before leaning over him.

“No take backs.” Misty breathily responded as she lowered her lips to catch Ash’s in another kiss. Ash kissed her back as his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her fully on top of him. The couple made out right there under the sun, not far from the main Route without a care for anyone that might pass by. After several minutes the two separated for a bit and tried to cool their heads.

“I guess we should head out soon.” Ash reasoned as his hands gently gilded up and down Misty’s exposed sides.

“We probably should, it should only take about three days to make it to Cerulean with our Skiddo’s help.” Misty nodded as her own hands continued to roam over Ash’s chest.

“That means we’ll have to let go of each other.” Ash sighed with a grimace. Misty giggled before pulling Ash into a sitting position and kissing him again.

“We’ll have time tonight, so don’t look so down.” Misty promised with a smoldering look that made Ash instantly nod his head in agreement. The couple returned their Pokémon to their Pokéballs and folded up the picnic blanket. Pikachu climbed back up onto Ash’s shoulder as Misty stowed the blanket back into her pack and the two mounted their Skiddo again.

“Alright, let’s head out!” Ash called and both Skiddo bleated happily as they quickly started trotting further down the Route. The rest of the day was fairly uneventful, the couple saw two more Trainers riding by, one on a Tauros about an hour after lunch. The second Trainer they’d passed was about an hour before they decided to set up camp. This Trainer was riding a Ponyta and had given a polite greeting as they passed each other. Now they were setting up camp for the night and getting their group settled for the evening. Dinner that night consisted of pork fried rice and a salad made from the fresh vegetables Misty had bought at the Copper Town Pokémart. After showers were taken and their Pokémon were safely inside their Pokéballs for the night Misty made good on her promise from lunch. Ash absolutely adored his girlfriend and Misty reciprocated his feelings whole heartedly. The two made out and got frisky until they fell asleep snuggled up together with content smiles on their faces.

“I think we’re ready.” Ash stated as he looked over their packed up campsite. He didn’t see anything left behind and turned to make sure Misty was ready.

“Good to go.” Misty nodded as the two got back onto their Skiddo’s saddles and started heading for Cerulean once more. It was a few hours of riding later that the couple had their first surprise of the day.

“Do you hear something?” Ash asked making Misty look at him while Pikachu and both Skiddo raised their ears to listen for what Ash had heard.

“Pikachu!” Pikachu called out while pointing upwards and slightly ahead of the group. There was a dust cloud coming down one of the slopes towards the Route.

“What’s that?” Misty questioned as she held her hand above her eyes like a visor to try and see what was causing the dust cloud.

“There’s something rolling down the slope.” Ash replied as he used his Aura to enhance his vision making his eyes glow slightly.

“Is it a Graveler?” Misty asked knowing that the Rock/Ground Types liked to roll down slopes and mountains as a form of locomotion.

“Not unless Graveler have started turning blue.” Ash grinned now knowing with some sureness what they were looking at. “That’s a Phanpy!” True to Ash’s words when the rolling Pokémon hit the mostly flat ground of the Route it spun around in a wide circle a few times before rolling to a stop. What appeared from the dust cloud was a small blue Elephant Pokémon with orange marks on its ears and long nose.

“Phan!” Phanpy called out as it took notice of the two Trainers and their Pokémon.

“It’s a cutie.” Misty cooed at the adorable Pokémon.

“Donphan are pretty strong Ground Types, I’m going to catch this little guy!” Ash declared as he dismounted Skiddo and palmed a Pokéball from his belt.

“Py!” Phanpy trumpeted in challenge standing ready for a battle.

“I like you already!” Ash smiled at the tough little elephant. “Teddiursa let’s show him the results of your training!” He called out as he tossed the Pokéball in his hand forward releasing the Little Bear Pokémon in a flash of white light.

“Teddi!” Teddiursa growled as he locked eyes with his opponent.

“Let’s start off with Bulk Up!” Ash instructed and Teddiursa flexed while being surrounded by a reddish-orange glow. Misty’s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise since she was fairly certain that Bulk Up wasn’t a move Teddiursa learned naturally.

“Phanpy!” Phanpy trumpeted again before rolling up and being surrounded by a red glow.

“It used Defense Curl.” Ash noted before instructing Teddiursa again. “Another Bulk Up it might be up to something.” Teddiursa flexed again raising its Attack and Defense another stage on top of the first increases.

“Pha!” Phanpy called from its rolled up state as its body shot forward rapidly in a roll.

“That’s Rollout!” Ash exclaimed surprised that Phanpy knew the Defense Curl and Rollout combination. “Teddiursa catch it and use Lick we can’t let Rollout build up power!”

“Ursa!” Teddiursa confirmed as it grabbed onto the rolling Ground Type. With his Defense boosted two stages the Rollout only did a bit of damage but Teddiursa was still pushed back a bit. Teddiursa extended its tongue, covered in the pale blackish-purple color of Ghost Type Aura, before licking the slowly rotating Phanpy.

“Phan!” Phanpy cried out as it shivered and its body emitted small sparks. Paralysis had taken effect on the small Ground Type.

“That’s the way Teddiursa!” Ash cheered on his Pokémon. “Use Feint Attack!”

“Sa!” Teddiursa growled as his paw was coated in Dark Type Aura and he slugged the immobilized Phanpy. The elephant was sent sprawling before shakily getting to its feet.

“Phanpy!” Phanpy trumpeted as it charged Teddiursa with a powerful Tackle.

“Teddiursa, use Sweet Scent!” Ash called out and Teddiursa grinned as it emitted a pink mist from its paws. The sweet smelling mist dulled Phanpy’s movement and made it easier for Teddiursa to side step the incoming Tackle attack. “Feint Attack!” Ash called again and Teddiursa was quickly upon the slower moving Phanpy. Another swipe from the Dark Type attack sent Phanpy stumbling, but the Elephant Pokémon showed its toughness by not falling even as sparks from Paralysis appeared all over its body again.

“Phan!” Phanpy called out defiantly making Ash smile at how tough the little elephant was.

“One more Feint Attack should do it!” Ash called and Teddiursa rushed the Ground Type. The Dark Type attack connected but Phanpy didn’t budge from its position. A faint red glow appeared around its body as Teddiursa backed up a few steps to re-assess his opponent. “It used Endure! This Phanpy is older than I thought!” Ash commented before picking out a Pokéball from his pack. ‘Since Phanpy has low health and is paralyzed it shouldn’t be able to break free of the Pokéball.’ He thought to himself as he enlarged the ball and tossed it at the Ground Type.

“Pha?” Phanpy was confused when the Pokéball tapped it on the head, before it was engulfed in red light and drawn into the Pokéball. Ash watched as the Pokéball shook back and forth for a few moments before the ball sounded out a successful capture and automatically shrank down. The red glow coming from the button in the middle of the Pokéball showing the ball was locked.

“Alright! I caught a Phanpy!” Ash cheered as he ran over and grabbed the shrunken Pokéball off the ground. “You did great Teddiursa!” Ash praised his Normal Type by rubbing his head and scratching behind the cub’s ears.

“Ur!” Teddiursa exclaimed as he leaned into Ash’s pats and scratches.

“Take a nice rest buddy, you’ve earned it.” Ash praised again as he returned the Little Bear Pokémon to his Pokéball.

“That was pretty good Ash, Teddiursa barely took any damage.” Misty congratulated as Ash walked back over to his Skiddo. “But how does Teddiursa know Bulk Up? They don’t learn it naturally to my knowledge.”

“I had Riolu teach Teddiursa how to use it.” Ash informed as he got back on Skiddo’s saddle. “Anytime Riolu wasn’t working on Double Team or Detect I had him help Teddiursa learn Bulk Up.”

“I see, that makes sense.” Misty nodded as Ash pulled out his Pokédex.

“Yeah, according to what I looked up Ursaring are strong Physical Attackers but not much for Speed. So learning a Move like Bulk Up that increases its already high Attack power while building up its Defense at the same time is perfect for him.” Ash explained as he scanned Phanpy’s Pokéball with his Pokédex.

“Phanpy, the Long Nose Pokémon, Phanpy uses its long nose to shower itself. When others gather around, they thoroughly douse each other with water. These Pokémon can be seen drying their soaking-wet bodies at the edge of water. As a sign of affection, it bumps others with its snout. However, it is so strong, it may send them flying.” The Pokédex intoned before listing Phanpy’s known moves. “This Phanpy is Male and knows the moves; Tackle, Defense Curl, Rollout, and Endure.” Ash nodded at the moves the small elephant knew before switching over to Ability Identifier Mode. “This Phanpy has the Ability Pick Up.”

“Well for now I’ll let him recover at Professor Oak’s.” Ash decided as he held the button on the locked ball down for several seconds. The shrunken Pokéball disappeared in a flash of white light. “I’ll switch my team around again once I get to Cerulean so I can get to know the little guy.” Ash nodded to himself as he thought about Pidgeotto that was currently on break from training at Professor Oak’s. At the moment his Team consisted of Pikachu, Riolu, Skiddo, Butterfree, Teddiursa, and Poliwag.

“Well let’s keep going, if possible I’d like to spend at least a day at Kitako Lake to try and catch a new Water Pokémon or two.” Misty said as she urged her Skiddo forward. Ash had his Skiddo match her pace again as they continued down Route Fifty.

“That’s fine with me; I’ve never been to Kitako Lake so I’m eager to see it. Don’t know if I’ll catch anything though.” Ash replied getting a smile from Misty since she’d been on her way to Copper Town the first time. Unfortunately she hadn’t had time to catch anything or she would have missed Copper Town’s Founding Tournament. The couple continued on their way uneventfully for the next couple of hours and reached the massive Kitako Lake around lunch time.

“It’s just as pretty as I remember it.” Misty gushed looking out over the pristine lake.

“I knew it was big, but this lake is beyond huge!” Ash exclaimed looking over the vast expanse of water. There were even a few tiny islands in the lake itself, each covered in a small stand of trees.

“Huh, there are a few more people here than when I passed by last time.” Misty noted pointing down to a large cleared area next to the lake. Ash looked over and noticed at least two dozen people and various tents set up. There even appeared to be a couple of modern ‘tiny home’ style wagons set up.

“Maybe something is going on?” Ash suggested and Misty shrugged.

“Won’t know until we get there, I guess.” Misty replied as she and Ash started riding down the slope towards the large cleared area. With Skiddo the couple made it to the area in only a few minutes and they dismounted their Ride Pokémon at the edge of the tents.

“Take a good rest Skiddo.” Ash thanked his Grass Type as he returned him to the Pokéball. Misty likewise praised her Skiddo as she let him rest in his own Pokéball. “I guess we should ask around and see what’s up.” Ash stated and Misty agreed as they took each other’s hand and entwined their fingers. Both gave a soft smile to each other as their Auras naturally entwined again before heading off to try and figure out what was going on. They found a large, older man sitting with a few other Trainers of various ages looking over a map. The man looked up upon noticing them and spoke.

“Hello there, have you come to help out with the Kanto Ecological Department’s Job?” The large man asked. Looking the man over the couple noted he was probably in his late forties or early fifties. He had a salt and pepper beard and his hair was the same. He had very warm and kind eyes though, especially for a man that was as well built as he was.

“Uh, no, actually we just got here from Copper Town.” Ash informed the man. “We don’t know anything about a government Job.”

“Ah, forgive me for assuming, the last several Trainers to arrive here in the past two days have been here for the Job.” The man bowed slightly.

“No apology needed, sir.” Misty waved the man’s apology away. “But what kind of Job has brought out the Ecology Department to Kitako Lake?”

“The Stantler herds up here have recently gotten a bit too big.” The man explained. “Over the last year at least three dozen Ursaring have been captured by passing through Trainers. With the decline of one of their few predators the Stantler herds have had a population boom. We’re here to cull the herds a bit so that no further ecological harm will be done to the area. The people here with me are part of Team Two. Teams One, Three, Four, Five, and Six are at other locations around the lake to perform their own portion of the Job.”

“Oh wow, I’d heard that over catching a single species was just as bad as over hunting but I didn’t know it was happening up here.” Ash grimaced as he realized what kind of harm the loss of predators could do to the ecosystem of the lake area.

“Indeed, because I have a bit of a specialty with Ursaring, I was sent up here to take stock of their current population and propose a new Legal Catch Limit for them once the Stantler herds have been culled.” The man informed the two and Ash felt Misty’s emotions turn to shock through their entwined Auras for a moment.

“Now I know why you look familiar! You’re Arthur Matheson!” Misty exclaimed and the man nodded with a kind smile.

“Indeed I am, young lady.” Arthur chuckled while Misty blushed at her outburst.

“Who is he?” Ash whispered to her confused.

“He’s a legend in the Pokémon Tournament Circuit, Ash. He was called the ‘Bear King’ during his professional days. His Pokémon Team always consisted of Bear Pokémon. He’s an Expert Level Trainer that only participates in a few tournaments a year now days. A lot of Tournament Trainers look up to him for making it to the top of the Circuit with such a unique theme.” Misty informed excitedly and Ash had to admit he was impressed. Using only Bear Pokémon greatly limited a Trainer’s Type Coverage. That this man had risen to the top of the Tournament Circuit with such a limitation spoke volumes of his skills.

“So would you two like to help? We could always use a few more hands. Plus we’re not letting the Stantler go to waste. We’re going to have a celebration tomorrow night after the Job is complete.” Arthur informed.

“What do you think?” Ash asked Misty looking into her eyes.

“It’s not happening until tomorrow. We could fish for the rest of today and then help out tomorrow. I’m sure we’d be compensated since the Kanto Region Government is the one paying for this Job.” Misty responded and Ash nodded at her reasoning.

“Could I ask about the compensation for this Job, sir?” Ash questioned Arthur and the older man nodded.

“Of course, the pay for any assisting Trainer is fifty thousand PokéYen.” Arthur informed them getting blinks from Ash and Misty in return. That wasn’t bad for a Job, though since the Government was the one funding it the amount reflected the importance they placed on this Job.

“Let’s do it, Ash, we’ll be set for a while with that much.” Misty nodded and Ash agreed.

“Count us in, sir!” Ash stated and Arthur smiled.

“Welcome aboard…” Arthur began but trailed off. Ash and Misty realized they hadn’t introduced themselves.

“I’m Ash Ketchum, sir.” Ash introduced himself.

“Misty Waterflower, sir.” Misty bowed slightly.

“Great to have you with us, Ash and Misty, we’re just going over the map of our area so we know where to find the Stantler herd we’ll be culling from.” Arthur nodded towards the map. “Once the Job is done tomorrow we’ll be having one heck of a feast with the rest of the groups!”

“Sounds good to us, sir.” Ash grinned as he and Misty sat down at the table the map was placed on. They spent the next half hour there going over the Job for the next day and where they would be stationed during the hunting.

“Alright, that wraps us up for today, ladies and gentlemen. Make sure you enjoy the rest of today because we’ll be up bright and early tomorrow.” Arthur announced getting nods and affirmations from the group of Trainers. As Misty and Ash walked away from the meeting they discussed plans for the rest of the day.

“I’ll set up our tent and get the shower bag ready, Misty.” Ash offered.

“I can help, Ash, I don’t mind.” Misty replied but Ash simply set his pack down in an empty area a little ways away from the next closest tent.

“I know you want to start fishing as soon as you can, Misty.” Ash grinned while Misty set her pack down next to his. “So grab your Good Rod and hit the lake while I take care of the set up.”

“Are you sure?” Misty asked as she looked at her pack where her Good Rod was stowed away.

“Positive.” Ash confirmed with a grin. “I’ll join you once I’m done. I’ve got to test out this Good Rod you helped get me at the Swap Meet after all.”

“Ok, I’ll see you by the lake soon.” Misty smiled as she pulled him into a soft kiss. The two separated with grins on their faces as Misty unpacked her Good Rod and extended it before getting out her Lure Kit and heading towards the lake. Ash smiled at seeing his girlfriend so happy before he set about making camp. Over the course of the next several minutes Ash set up their tent, filled and hung the solar shower bag, and made the tarp shower room that he and Misty had used ever since their first outdoor showers.

“Done and done, now just secure the packs inside the tent and meet Misty for some fishing.” Ash nodded to himself as he placed both packs into the tent and retrieved his own Good Rod from his pack. “Pikachu can you guard our stuff for me?” He asked his Starter getting a confirming nod from the Electric Type.

“Pika!” Pikachu gave him a thumbs up with his front paw as he hopped down onto the tent floor.

“Thanks buddy.” Ash smiled at his partner. Pikachu trotted around the tent for a second as Ash exited and closed the flap. The last thing Ash saw was Pikachu curling up in front of their packs. “So he’s only agreeing so he can take a nap.” Ash chuckled to himself with a smile.

Zipping the tent up Ash made his way down to the lake shore and looked around for Misty’s distinct orangette hair. It didn’t take long to spot his girlfriend in the shade of a large tree with her line in the water. Making his way over to her Ash waved to get Misty’s attention.

“Hey Ash, done already?” Misty asked as Ash sat next to her and started preparing his Good Rod like she had shown him.

“Yeah, we’ve both had plenty of practice so it doesn’t take too long anymore.” Ash replied as he attached a lure to the end of his line and cast out into the lake. Misty sighed contently as she leaned against Ash’s shoulder while watching her line. Ash smiled as he gently placed his head on top of Misty’s and breathed in her scent. The couple happily waited for something to bite while enjoying their closeness, they’d never get tired of having their Auras entwined like this. Almost thirty minutes later and Misty’s line pulled taunt as something took the bait.

“Got something!” Misty cheered as she and Ash separated so Misty could stand up and reel in her catch. “Feisty aren’t you?” She praised the submerged Pokémon as it refused to come up from the depths. “Ash, the third Pokéball on my belt is Goldeen’s can you send her out for me?” Misty requested and Ash quickly pulled the Pokéball she requested off her belt and enlarged it. In the next second Ash had released Goldeen into the water.

“Goldeen?” Goldeen queried looking over at Misty struggling with her catch.

“Goldeen, swim down and give whatever Pokémon is on the end of my line a Horn Attack!” Misty instructed and Goldeen promptly dove down into the water to carry out the attack. A moment later and Misty’s line slackened as a light blue Pokémon was forced up and out of the water with a cry.

“Wooper!” The Wooper cried out from the Horn Attack it had been hit with.

“Great job Goldeen!” Misty praised as her Goldfish Pokémon surfaced. “Use Fury Attack!” Goldeen swam rapidly towards the recovering Wooper with her horn glowing white.

“Wooper!” Wooper cried out as it launched a Water Gun at the approaching Pokémon.

“Dive and come up under it!” Misty called out and Goldeen dove underwater before striking Wooper from below with multiple thrusts from her horn.

“Per!” Wooper exclaimed as it was launched into the air again. The Water/Ground Type proved its toughness however, by spinning around and launching a blast of mud from its mouth at the Goldfish Pokémon.

“Dive!” Misty cried out and Goldeen submerged quickly just avoiding the Mud Shot attack. “Horn Attack one more time!” Goldeen surged forward just as Wooper splashed back into the lake. Wooper had no time to reorient itself before Goldeen landed her Horn Attack sending Wooper back to the surface. A moment later and the Water/Ground Type was floating unconscious on the waves. Misty quickly reached into her Lure Kit and pulled out one of the Lure Balls she’d bought at the Swap Meet. “Lure Ball, go!” She tossed the Apricorn Ball at the downed Wooper and watched it be drawn into the ball in a flash of red light. The Lure Ball floated while shaking back and forth for a moment before sounding out a successful capture. “Yes!” Misty cheered at her capture.

“Great job, Misty!” Ash praised his girlfriend at her capture. “That was flawless; Goldeen didn’t take any damage at all!”

“She did great!” Misty agreed as she walked to the water’s edge where Goldeen was waiting with Misty’s Lure Ball in her mouth. “Thanks for getting Wooper for me, Goldeen, you did spectacular! Your training has definitely been paying off!” She praised her Pokémon as she rubbed the Goldfish Pokémon’s head gently.

“Gol, goldeen!” Goldeen replied happily enjoying her praise.

“Take a nice rest girl; I might need you again if I catch something else.” Misty smiled as she returned Goldeen to her Pokéball. “Ash can I borrow your Pokédex for a sec?”

“Sure thing, Misty.” Ash replied as he let Misty scan her new Wooper’s Pokéball.

“Wooper, the Water Fish Pokémon, Wooper usually lives in water. However, it occasionally comes out onto land in search of food. On land, it coats its body with a gooey, toxic film.” The Pokédex intoned with its computerized voice. “This Wooper is Female and knows the moves; Water Gun, Tail Whip, Mud Shot, and Slam.” Misty nodded at the moves Wooper knew. From her knowledge of Water Types she’d bet Wooper was fairly close to evolving into Quagsire. Her newest Pokémon was certainly big enough to indicate it being the right age for evolution. Switching over to Ability Identifier Mode, Misty scanned Wooper’s Pokéball again. “This Wooper’s Ability is Water Absorb.”

“I knew it was a possibility, good thing I decided against using any Water Type moves.” Misty exhaled in relief; that would have only prolonged the battle as Wooper healed from its Ability. Misty handed Ash his Pokédex back as she set about re-baiting her line. After casting it back into the lake she leaned into Ash again with a happy smile.

“Trying for another capture already?” Ash asked and Misty nodded.

“I’ll treat Wooper and any other catch tonight.” Misty replied as she snuggled close. “Plus we’ll need to start getting something ready for lunch soon too. I’m starting to get a little hungry myself and I know I’ve heard your stomach growling.” She teased making Ash huff playfully. The couple sat their watching their lines for thirty more minutes before they both got too hungry to put off lunch anymore.

“I’m starting to wonder if the Water Types here don’t like me.” Ash mused as he reeled his line in. “I had my line out for an hour and didn’t get a nibble. Not even after I recast twice in different areas.”

“I’m sure they don’t have a grudge against you, Ash.” Misty giggled. “Fishing is like that sometimes; you spend hours waiting but still don’t get anything. But it’s still relaxing, especially when you have someone to share it with.” She smiled as she lightly bumped him with her hip.

“I can agree with that.” Ash nodded as he put his Good Rod over his shoulder and wrapped his other arm around Misty’s waist.

“So, what’re you thinking about for lunch?” Misty asked as she put her Good Rod on her opposite shoulder and leaned her head on Ash’s unoccupied shoulder. She couldn’t help but smile at how nice her life was going right now. Ever since Ash had come into her life she’d been happier than she’d been in years. Feeling his contentment through their Auras only made her happier as they walked back to their tent together.

-End Chapter-

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New Pokémon acquired! Ash has a Phanpy! Misty caught a Wooper! Now they’ve agreed to help on a Job requested by the Kanto Region Government! How will that go? Will they get to see how Arthur earned the epithet ‘Bear King’? How many other Trainers will they meet at tomorrow night’s celebratory feast? They’ll have a whole lot of venison, that’s for sure!

Ash's Current Pokémon

Pikachu – Static – Tail Whip, Thundershock, Growl, Quick Attack, Electro Ball, Thunder Wave, Volt Tackle, Double Team, Light Screen, Reflect

Riolu – Inner Focus – Foresight, Quick Attack, Blaze Kick, Bulk Up, Copycat, Force Palm, Detect, Double Team

Poliwag – Water Absorb – Watersport, Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, Double Slap

Butterfree – Compound Eyes – Tackle, String Shot, Bug Bite, Harden, Gust, Confusion

Pidgeotto – Keen Eye – Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Twister

Skiddo – Sap Sipper – Growth, Vine Whip, Tail Whip, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Take Down

Teddiursa – Pick Up – Covet, Lick, Fury Swipes, Feint Attack, Sweet Scent, Bulk Up

Phanpy – Pick Up – Tackle, Defense Curl, Rollout, Endure

Misty's Current Pokémon

Staryu – Natural Cure – Harden, Rapid Spin, Water Gun, Recover, Psywave, Swift, Bubblebeam, Camouflage

Starmie – Natural Cure - Rapid Spin, Water Gun, Recover, Psywave, Swift, Bubblebeam, Camouflage, Protect

Goldeen – Lightning Rod – Peck, Tail Whip, Watersport, Supersonic, Horn Attack, Flail, Water Pulse, Aqua Ring, Fury Attack

Poliwag – Water Absorb – Watersport, Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, Double Slap, Icy Wind

Skiddo – Sap Sipper – Growth, Vine Whip, Tail Whip, Leech Seed, Razor Leaf, Synthesis, Take Down

Wooper – Water Absorb – Water Gun, Tail Whip, Mud Shot, Slam

*!*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'll even help out with Badge design/name! You'd get to have your own Gym Leader with their own unique Badge!

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. Ash will challenge four Gyms besides the eight canon Gyms with Steel Type, Ghost Type, Flying Type and Dragon Type being the four. All four now have OCs planned out thanks to some awesome patrons!

Until I get your reviews, later!