Pokémon Version Orange

[MarcusDeGabriel]

Honestly it'd be funny if both Travis and Ash actually had the same dad.

 

[Aura_Guardian]

What are the guesses on the partner Ash gets?

Personally I'm hoping for some sort of Fairy or maybe even Galarian Ponyta, watch him be dissatisfied about such a 'girly' Pokemon only to end up being so in tune with it Oak keeps it around until his journey starts.

I wonder what Pokemon Travis would have gotten?

Stantler maybe? Teddiursa? Would have loved to see a female Combee

Thanks for the chapter!

 

[Azzy Rael]

You know, with the number of kids that look like Ash and his missing dad, Mister Ketchum has more than a few questions to answer

 

[LotusEater]

Eyyy, two new chapters since I last saw of this fic, Nice!

Good to see the next generation being draw together by 'fate' like this.

The fact that Mr Orange and Ash have the same face but completely different reactions is really tripping up Gary Blue.

If this is the Rattata that Gary evolves into Raticate, it will really be a sign of personal growth.

Goh being jealous of Orange for talking with Chloe is a bit funny.

Next chapter, meeting the Mirror Protagonist! Let's go!

Thanks for the chapters!!

 

[IcurasFallen]

Pokémon Version Orange

Arc 2 - The Summer


Chapter 12
​

---

I was not hiding.

That would have been childish. Immature, even, and I was far too mature to flee from a child simply because said child happened to possess my exact face and represented the living embodiment of nearly every canon-related headache I had spent years hoping to avoid.

No, I had simply decided that the far side of Professor Oak's property looked particularly comfortable. Entirely different thing.

I had eventually found a broad tree sitting near the edge of one of the quieter pastures, far enough from the Laboratory that most of the other campers had apparently decided the walk wasn't worth it. The shade was good, the grass was soft, and most importantly, I couldn't currently see Ash Ketchum anywhere.

Which was pure coincidence, of course.

Pichu had taken full advantage of the change in scenery by sprawling across my lap while I idly ran my fingers along the fur between his ears. The adrenaline from his battle had mostly worn off, leaving him warm, sleepy, and apparently perfectly content to use me as furniture while he recovered whatever energy he'd spent breaking Rattata's ankles.

Considering he'd earned the rest, I wasn't about to complain.

That left me with nothing better to do than pull a book from my bag and attempt to focus on something that didn't involve the fact that I had just stared directly into what amounted to a badly dressed mirror.

I was halfway through a section on forecasting cancellations when a familiar sound cut through the quiet.

"Yam!"

My eyes lifted from the page just in time to spot Yamper trotting through the grass toward me, tail wagging rapidly behind him. A few seconds later, Chloe and Goh came into view farther back, following the little Electric-type across the pasture.

I raised a brow as Chloe caught up a moment later, slightly out of breath, and immediately crouched to scratch beneath his chin. "Good boy, Yamper. I knew you'd find him."

The little Pokémon practically vibrated with pride.

I slowly lowered my book. "You were looking for me?"

Goh finally reached us and shrugged like the answer should have been obvious. "Yeah. You didn't seem boring."

Chloe immediately drove an elbow into his side.

"Ow!" Goh recoiled and rubbed his ribs. "What was that for?!"

"That was rude!"

"How was that rude?" He looked genuinely baffled. "I said he wasn't boring!"

"And made it sound like everyone else is."

Goh opened his mouth, clearly prepared to argue the distinction, while I glanced between them and considered whether getting up and walking another mile away would be too obvious.

I sighed and shifted the book against my knee. "For what it's worth, I think that might be the nicest thing he's said to me so far."

Chloe gave me an apologetic look. "He's not usually trying to be rude."

"I'm not rude," Goh protested.

Chloe slowly turned toward him, a look of disbelief across her face.

"...Most of the time."

That earned another tired sigh from her before she finally settled into the grass nearby. Yamper immediately flopped down beside her, apparently satisfied with his job well done.

I watched them get comfortable before raising an eyebrow. "So you tracked me across Professor Oak's property purely because I wasn't boring?"

Goh shrugged again and dropped down beside Chloe. "Pretty much."

A part of me hated how valid that answer was.

Silence returned for a full minute as I turned back to my reading, ironically proving their previous words wrong as I ignored them in favor of a textbook.

"…what are you reading?"

I sighed at the obvious question before tilting the cover enough for them to see. "Revenue Management and Forecasting."

Both stared blankly.

I chuckled at their reaction. "It's basically a book teaching you how to predict demand and make sure a business isn't accidentally losing money." I shifted the book slightly as Pichu rolled onto his back, forcing me to move one hand so he could continue stealing scratches.

Goh moved closer while I spoke and was now peering at the cover. His expression scrunched in concentration. "Why are you reading something like that?"

"I have a test coming up."

That earned bewildered looks.

"For school? But it's summer!" Chloe was the one to ask in bewilderment.

I sighed and closed the book. I don't think I would get to read any more. "It's for one of my business classes."

Goh's eyes widened. "You're in college?!"

I blinked at him for actually clocking that so fast. "Yes, although I'm only taking remote courses." I shook my head with a chuckle. "I'm not about to move into a dorm and develop a caffeine dependency at nine."

"But you are nine!"

I stared back dryly. "Yes, thank you, Chloe, I hadn't noticed."

She flushed slightly while Goh dropped into the grass almost directly across from me, suddenly far more interested than he'd been thirty seconds ago. "How are you already taking college classes?"

"How do you think?" I rolled my eyes. "I finished the standard League academics early, got homeschooled through the rest, and I've been taking some introductory business courses since I'm eventually expected to help run the Kumquat Grand."

Goh stared at me like I'd just announced I could breathe underwater. "You finished all the League academics already?"

"A while ago."

"That is so cool!"

I grimaced. "It really isn't. It mostly means people decided I needed harder homework."

Chloe smiled despite herself. "It's still impressive."

I waved off the praise before they could start treating me like some kind of academic exhibit. "Trust me, there are less exciting ways to spend an afternoon than calculating seasonal occupancy rates, but not many."

They still looked impressed, which was becoming uncomfortable enough that I started looking for another topic. Thankfully, I noticed something missing.

Or rather, someone.

My eyes dropped toward the Poké Ball clipped to the boy of the duo's side. "So, what Pokémon did you get?"

Goh deflated at the change of topic but answered all the same. "I got a Caterpie."

I raised a brow. "And it's not out because…?"

Goh looked away with a scowl.

Chloe immediately frowned. She clearly understood the issue as well. "You're supposed to be taking the time to get to know it, Goh."

Goh gave another shrug, this one more complex to decipher. "Does it really matter? I'm only gonna have it for a week."

"Goh," Chloe started, irritation creeping into her voice, only for him to turn toward her.

"What? I said I'd take care of it! I'm not gonna forget to feed it or anything."

"That's not the point! Professor Oak said you were supposed to be getting to know your partner."

"And I can get to know it later!"

Chloe opened her mouth to argue again, but I beat her to it, more because I could already see the two of them gearing up for another circular debate than because I particularly cared about winning Goh over.

"What's the harm?"

Goh looked toward me. "Huh?"

I nodded toward the Poké Ball at his waist. "She's right about this being free time. Professor Oak specifically gave everyone this time to meet their Pokémon and get comfortable around each other. You're sitting here doing nothing anyway, so what's the downside to letting Caterpie out?"

Goh's mouth twisted. "I'm still not keeping it."

"I didn't say you were." Pichu shifted beneath my hand, and I absently scratched under his chin until his eyes drifted half-shut again. "You don't have to promise eternal friendship and matching friendship bracelets. Just let it hang out."

Chloe snorted softly.

Goh looked between the two of us, clearly recognizing that the vote had somehow become two against one. "You guys are annoying."

"I'm devastated, truly."

He sighed dramatically before finally pulling the Poké Ball loose. "Fine."

The ball opened with a soft flash, white light spilling onto the grass before taking shape beside his knee. A small green Caterpie appeared, its red antenna twitching as it glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings.

Goh didn't immediately reach for it or start peppering it with questions the way he'd done with Pichu. He mostly sat there, watching with a strange mixture of uncertainty and disinterest as Caterpie looked from him and its Poké Ball to Chloe, then toward me and Pichu.

For a moment, I wondered if Chloe was going to try encouraging him again, but it turns out she didn't need to.

Caterpie crawled closer on its own.

Goh stiffened slightly when the Bug-type bumped against his leg, but Caterpie seemed perfectly content to ignore the reaction. It climbed onto his shin, turned itself around with a few small movements, and settled across his leg like it had decided that was as good a resting place as any.

Goh stared down at it. Then, after a few seconds, the corner of his mouth lifted. It was tiny enough that I might have missed it if I hadn't been looking directly at him.

Chloe noticed too.

Her eyes flicked briefly toward me before returning to Goh, and I could see the beginnings of a smile threatening at her own lips.

Neither of us said anything. Some lessons didn't need commentary.

---

The rest of the hour passed surprisingly easily.

We didn't do anything particularly exciting. Goh eventually stopped staring at Caterpie like it had personally complicated his life and relaxed enough to let the little Bug-type remain draped across his leg. Chloe scratched Yamper behind the ears while we talked, and Pichu spent most of the time half-asleep in my lap, occasionally twitching whenever one of us raised our voice too much.

Mostly, we just talked.

Goh predictably carried a large portion of the conversation whenever Pokémon came up, which was often. The kid had apparently absorbed enough trivia to qualify as a walking field guide and had absolutely no hesitation about sharing it. Chloe would interrupt whenever he started getting too far into the weeds, usually with a sigh or a pointed look, before steering things somewhere that resembled an actual conversation again.

I wasn't exactly hanging on every word, but I had to admit that neither of them was terrible company.

They were still nine-year-olds. Goh could be blunt enough to make a Primeape look diplomatic, and Chloe had already developed the particular exhausted patience of someone who had spent years cleaning up after his social decisions. Still, both of them were noticeably more mature than most kids I'd known during my first life.

That was something I'd noticed repeatedly since waking up in this world.

Children here were just...different.

Not adults in miniature or anything ridiculous like that. They still threw tantrums, got into stupid arguments, dared each other into dangerous situations, and apparently considered insulting someone's Pokémon a perfectly reasonable opening move in a social interaction.

Gary had demonstrated that last one pretty thoroughly.

But physically and mentally, kids in this world seemed ahead of where I'd remembered children being back in my first go around.

I still wasn't sure why.

Maybe it was genetics. Humans living for thousands of years alongside creatures capable of throwing boulders, breathing fire, and accidentally shorting out the neighborhood might have applied a certain amount of evolutionary pressure.

Or maybe there was something stranger involved.

Psychic ability existed in humans. So did Aura, and if even half of the old stories I'd read were accurate, humanity had spent an uncomfortable amount of its history interacting with things that modern science politely classified as Legendary Pokémon and ancient cultures had called gods.

For all I knew, there was something fundamentally different about people here. Whatever the cause was, the evidence was hard to ignore.

Ten-year-olds were legally trusted to travel across entire regions with minimal supervision. Not blindly, obviously. There were Pokémon Centers, Ranger stations, League routes, emergency services, and an entire infrastructure designed around young Trainers moving from town to town.

But they were still ten.

The League didn't just hand a license to anyone who reached double digits either. There were exams involved, and the general academic testing required before becoming eligible for a Trainer license covered material that would've looked closer to middle-school coursework in my first life.

The League apparently took the position that if they were going to let a child walk into the wilderness carrying several creatures capable of demolishing a building, that child should at least know how fractions worked.

Annoying. But reasonable.

It also explained why talking to Chloe and Goh didn't make me want to repeatedly introduce my forehead to the nearest tree. Not that I was about to tell them that.

Eventually, a whistle carried across the fields and put an end to our little patch of peace.

Caterpie's antenna twitched at the sound while Yamper immediately perked up, ears rising as Chloe looked toward the Laboratory. Goh glanced down at Caterpie for a moment before reluctantly reaching for its Poké Ball.

"Looks like bonding hour's over," Chloe said as she pushed herself to her feet. Yamper bounced up beside her, apparently deciding that standing meant they were going somewhere exciting.

"Seems that way." I closed my book and slid it back into my bag before gently nudging Pichu awake. The little Electric-type made an unhappy noise, stretched until all four limbs were sticking in different directions, then immediately began climbing my shirt toward his usual perch.

Goh recalled Caterpie only after the little Bug-type crawled off his leg, though I noticed he actually waited for it to move first rather than simply returning it where it lay.

Small victories.

By the time we reached the main lawn again, the campers were being separated into their assigned groups. Counselors stood scattered around the property holding colored signs above their heads while kids gradually migrated toward the matching lanyards hanging around their necks.

Finding ours wasn't difficult. A large yellow sign displaying a cartoon Pikachu was being waved several feet above the crowd. Subtlety was obviously dead.

"There!" Goh pointed unnecessarily before taking off toward it, Chloe and Yamper following at a more sensible pace.

I trailed behind them and immediately started counting heads.

There were around twenty of us once everyone finally gathered. A decent enough number for group activities without becoming completely unmanageable, although judging by the amount of noise twenty excited children could generate, the counselors might disagree.

Then someone loudly squeezed through the far side of the group.

I closed my eyes and sighed.

Because who else would be in the Pikachu Group?

Ash Ketchum, future Trainer of quite possibly the most famous Pikachu on the planet, had naturally been assigned to the group represented by Pikachu.

I stared toward the sky for half a second.

The universe had to be laughing at me. There was no other explanation.

Thankfully, Ash didn't seem to have noticed me. He was too busy staring around the campgrounds with the kind of open excitement normally reserved for amusement parks, repeatedly craning his neck whenever one of the counselors mentioned something about hiking, cooking outside, or sleeping under the stars.

Good. He could remain fascinated by tents for as long as he wanted. I was perfectly happy postponing the inevitable conversation where I had to explain that no, I had not intentionally stolen his face.

Unfortunately, two people had already noticed.

"Don't."

Neither listened.

Goh's eyes narrowed as he studied Ash from across the group before turning back to examine me with annoying intensity. Chloe wasn't being quite as obvious about it, but the confused crease forming between her eyebrows said enough.

I sighed. "Yes. I know."

Chloe blinked. "You two look..."

"I know."

"Like really..."

"I know."

Goh leaned slightly to one side, apparently trying to compare our profiles. "Are you related?"

"Not as far as I'm aware." And wasn't that a kick in the teeth? Thank you, absentee dad for making that possibly unclear.

"Are you sure?"

I slowly turned toward him.

Chloe thankfully seemed to notice the annoyed glint now shining in my eyes and caught Goh's shoulder to pull him back before I said something offensive.

Thank you, Chloe.

Finally, one of the yellow-clad counselors clapped loudly for everyone's attention, and naturally, I recognized her.

The same woman who had gleefully abandoned paperwork to referee my battle with Gary stood near the front of the group with a clipboard tucked beneath one arm. Her yellow camp vest was still slightly wrinkled from earlier, and the grin on her face suggested she remained entirely too pleased with her career choices.

"Alright, Pikachu Group!" she called, waiting until the conversations died down enough to continue. "Looks like we've got everybody, so let's get moving. I'm Amber, and I'll be one of the counselors working with your group this week."

A few other adults wearing the same yellow vests stood nearby, making it clear Amber wasn't solely responsible for twenty children and whatever disasters we intended to create. Smart.

Amber pointed toward a trail leading away from the main Laboratory grounds. "Your campsite's already prepared, and most of your equipment was delivered ahead of you. So grab your bags, keep up with the group, and if anyone wanders off, I'm making you explain it to Professor Oak personally."

That threat proved remarkably effective.

The walk wasn't particularly long. Maybe ten minutes through a lightly wooded section of Oak's property before the trees opened into a broad clearing.

Several campers immediately started talking excitedly as the campsite came into view.

Someone had clearly put actual effort into preparing the place beforehand. A wide firepit occupied the center of the clearing with several rows of logs and benches arranged around it. Cooking stations sat under simple awnings near one edge, while another covered area held storage crates, water containers, first-aid supplies, and enough camping equipment to outfit a small expedition.

The only things conspicuously absent were tents.

I had a suspicion about where this was going.

"Welcome to camp!" Amber spread both arms as everyone filtered into the clearing. "This will be home base for the Pikachu Group for the week. Meals, activities, and most mornings will start right here."

A few kids cheered.

Amber waited until they calmed down before pointing toward a neat stack of rolled canvas bundles and poles.

"Your first assignment is pretty simple. You're going to set up your tents!"

Several campers immediately rushed toward the pile.

"Ah-ah!"

Amber's voice snapped them to a halt, and she smiled sweetly. "In pairs."

That changed the energy considerably. I felt horror start to spread up my spine.

Kids immediately started looking around for friends or whoever happened to be closest. I glanced toward Chloe and Goh just in time to see them look at one another with the comfortable familiarity of two people who had never even considered needing to discuss it.

I watched them go before looking around for whatever unfortunate soul remained.

Unfortunately, everyone else seemed to have reached conclusions remarkably quickly.

Two girls near the cooking station had already paired up. Their Pidgeys shifted slightly as they stared at each other. Three boys argued briefly before one abandoned them for another camper. A pair of older kids exchanged shrugs alongside their Oddish and Bellsprout before grabbing a tent.

Within maybe twenty seconds, the clearing had transformed into clusters of two.

Except for me.

Before I could begin contemplating whether setting up a tent alone technically violated the assignment or merely its spirit, Amber started counting pairs from the front of the group.

Her finger moved from one set to another before stopping somewhere behind me. Her expression flickered with surprise before slowly shifting into a smile.

The mere sight of it made my insides freeze.

"Travis!" Amber called, pointing toward me before gesturing across the clearing. "Looks like you'll be working with Ash."

I slowly followed her gesture.

Ash had been crouched beside one of the rolled tents, enthusiastically examining the stakes like he had never seen sharpened metal before in his life. At hearing his name, he finally looked up.

His eyes found Amber first, then followed her finger.

Everything stopped.

I stared at him.

He stared at me.

For several long seconds, neither of us moved while the expression on Ash's face slowly shifted from confusion to complete disbelief.

Amber looked between us, having obviously noticed our matching faces given the surprise from before. An amused smile spread across her face.

"Well, would you look at that." She chuckled. "You two brothers should probably make a pretty good te—"

"WHY DO YOU HAVE MY FACE?!"

The entire campsite went silent.

I stared at him for several seconds before letting out a long, exhausted sigh. I don't know why I expected anything different.

Still, if we were apparently doing this, I could at least enjoy myself a little.

I raised a hand and pointed straight back at him. "Funny, I was about to ask why you have my face!"

Ash recoiled like I'd accused him of stealing something. "What?! This is my face!"

"Pretty sure I had mine first."

"How would you even know that?!"

"I've been using it for nine years."

"So have I!"

I huffed dramatically, ignoring the snickering mouse on my shoulder. "Then it appears we've reached an impasse."

Ash's expression twisted as he visibly tried to work out how to argue with that, one finger still pointed accusingly in my direction. "B-But you look like me!"

I folded my arms. "From where I'm standing, you look like me."

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"It makes exactly as much sense as what you said!"

Around us, several campers had started openly watching. Chloe had one hand over her mouth in a poor attempt to hide her amusement, while Goh had given up all pretense and was staring between us like he'd just discovered a new regional variant.

Amber finally stepped in with both hands raised. "Okay, okay, before this turns into a comedy of errors, let's clear something up." She looked between us in confusion. "Are you two not related?"

Ash immediately looked toward her while pointing at me. "He's not my brother!"

"Yes," Amber said patiently, "I gathered that."

Ash opened his mouth before closing it and huffing loudly.

Amber sighed and rubbed at her forehead before looking between us again. "Fine. Not brothers. Weirdly similar faces. Mystery acknowledged." She then pointed toward the pile of tent equipment with all the finality of someone ending a courtroom proceeding. "You're still partners."

I looked at the sky once again. This had to be punishment for something…although nothing immediately came to mind.

Ash blinked. "Partners?"

"For the tent assignment," Amber clarified dryly. "Everyone else is paired up, which leaves you two. Have fun, and don't fight over who has which face."

I glanced toward the other campers.

Chloe and Goh were already dragging one of the tent bundles away. The remaining pairs had scattered across the clearing with equipment of their own, several of them apparently very interested in pretending they weren't listening.

There was no escape.

Wonderful.

I let my shoulders sag. "Fine."

Amber smiled brightly. "That's the spirit!"

"No, this is resignation."

"I'll take it!"

Ash shrugged, showing the classic skill of all children to utterly ignore the events of only a minute previous. He stepped closer with a grin. "I'm Ash Ketchum!"

I stared at the hand he stuck toward me. Apparently we were doing introductions now.

"Travis Cashion." I accepted it before he decided my hesitation meant he had to be more forceful. Pichu shifted on my shoulder at the movement, which immediately stole Ash's attention.

His eyes widened. "Whoa! Is that a Pichu?!"

Here we go.

Pichu straightened slightly as Ash leaned closer, ears twitching with interest rather than annoyance. Maybe he could sense the difference between Goh's investigative enthusiasm and Ash's more straightforward excitement.

"Yeah. He's my Starter."

"That's awesome!" Ash leaned forward to get a better look without getting directly in Pichu's face. Huh, that was more conservative than I figured he could manage. "I've seen Pikachu before, but I don't think I've ever seen a Pichu this close!"

Pichu chirped and puffed his chest out.

Of course he liked the attention.

Ash grinned before suddenly remembering something. "Oh! I got a Pokémon too!"

He reached for the Poké Ball at his side with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm, considering his fingers slipped, and the ball popped free.

"Whoa!" He fumbled with it for a moment like something out of a cartoon before finally getting both hands around the ball.

He straightened slowly, cheeks reddening. "I meant to do that."

"Sure."

"I did!"

"I'm sure you did."

Ash huffed before pressing the release button with considerably more care.

White light spilled out onto the grass and condensed into a small blue Pokémon with a round body, stubby legs, and a translucent belly marked by a dark spiral.

"Poliwag!"

Ash crouched beside his temporary partner with a grin. "This is Poliwag! Professor Oak gave him to me for camp."

"Wag!" Poliwag chirped before hopping sideways, nearly tripping over one of the tent poles in the process.

Ash laughed and grabbed it before it could roll directly into another camper's equipment. Poliwag immediately wriggled free, circled his legs once, and then bounced back toward him like that had all been part of some elaborate game.

I watched the pair for several seconds.

Right. Looked like I was dealing with two hyperactive knuckleheads. Wonderful.

"Come on!" Ash suddenly grabbed my wrist, and I barely had time to react before he started pulling me toward the pile of equipment.

I allowed myself to be dragged along and stared blankly ahead.

Apparently, this was my life now.

---

Author's Note:

It's finally happened! Ash 'mother fudging' Ketchum has arrived. Chaos can be the only result now!

Lol, more seriously, thank you all so much for the support so far. I'm honestly amazed that so many people are actually seeming to enjoy my stories, and I can only hope I continue to apparently do this right. Hope y'all enjoy!

Hope it's not too presumptuous, but I've got a Patreon up and running! If you want to read 5 chapters ahead or just support me in general, feel free to visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / IcurasFallen

 

[MarcusDeGabriel]

This interaction just makes me want them to be half-brothers even MORE! Imagine just how much Ash would be wanting to connect with his new brother and call all about his journey, and the new expectations Travis will have as the more mature brother to look after him.

It just writes itself!

 

[SpaceWhale]

The mystery of who's Ash's dad spreads to all who share his face

 

[MyddynEmrys]

There is a great disappointment in this fic, and that is that the chapters go down like water, leaving the reader at the end surprised that it is already finished - and wanting for more.
Aka: good job, please moare.

 

[IcurasFallen]

There is a great disappointment in this fic, and that is that the chapters go down like water, leaving the reader at the end surprised that it is already finished - and wanting for more.
Aka: good job, please moare.

Click to shrink...

Not gonna lie, I was getting so sad until I realized where you were going with that, lol. Happy that you're enjoying it so far!

 

[IcurasFallen]

Pokémon Version Orange

Arc 2 - The Summer


Chapter 13
​

---

There were plenty of things I could complain about when it came to Ash Ketchum. Thankfully, knowing how to put up a tent wasn't one of them.

"Hold that side!"

"I am holding it!"

"Then why's it falling?!"

"Because you're pulling the other pole toward you!"

"…oh."

I could only shake my head in amusement as similar arguments and shouting matches started ringing out across the clearing.

To Ash's credit, he at least knew what he was doing. He knew which poles connected, understood how the frame was supposed to lock together, and didn't need me explaining what a tent stake was or why hammering one straight down into loose soil was generally a poor life choice.

Most of the other campers seemed similarly competent, which wasn't particularly surprising.

Wilderness Survival was considered a core subject in most League-accredited schools, sitting alongside things like Math, History, Language, and Pokémon Studies. Which made considerably more sense when you remembered what kind of world we lived in.

Civilization here existed in pockets.

Big pockets, admittedly. Cities like Saffron or Goldenrod were enormous, and plenty of major Routes had been tamed enough that traveling them was little more dangerous than hiking through a particularly enthusiastic nature reserve.

But there were still miles upon miles of wilderness separating most towns, filled with creatures that could breathe fire, summon lightning, crush boulders, hypnotize travelers, or decide the funny little human wandering through their territory looked suspicious enough to attack.

Teaching children how to pitch a tent, safely start a fire, identify dangerous plants, read trail markers, and avoid provoking the local Ursaring population was simply part of every school's curriculum.

When ten-year-olds were expected to eventually travel those same Routes on their own, knowing how to keep yourself alive stopped being an elective.

Of course, like any school subject, knowing something on paper and actually being able to do it were two very different things. Judging by the number of collapsing tents and increasingly frustrated children scattered around the clearing, more than a few of my fellow campers were demonstrating that particular lesson firsthand.

So no, Ash wasn't useless.

Unfortunately, Poliwag seemed determined to compensate.

"Poli! Poli!"

The little Water-type bounced past us for what had to be the sixth time, circling the half-finished tent before skidding to a stop beside one of the loose ropes.

Ash immediately perked up. "What is it?"

"Poliwag!"

Poliwag hopped twice and slapped one tiny foot against the ground.

Ash stared.

Poliwag repeated the motion, faster this time.

"Poli! Poli!"

"Oh!" Ash dropped the section of canvas he'd been holding and hurried over. "You want this one tighter?"

I watched my side of the tent collapse. Again.

My eye twitched.

Pichu, sitting comfortably atop my bag several feet away, made a suspicious chittering sound.

"Don't."

His tiny shoulders shook harder. The traitor.

The strange part was that I wasn't actually angry.

Exasperated, absolutely. We had already redone one corner because Poliwag decided a loose guyline was apparently an invitation to play jump rope, and another because Ash abandoned his post halfway through securing a pole when his temporary partner started calling for him.

But every time I started getting properly annoyed, something happened that made it difficult to hold onto.

Ash would crouch beside Poliwag and listen with complete seriousness as the little Pokémon rattled off a stream of enthusiastic poliwags that should have meant absolutely nothing to him. Yet he'd nod, ask questions, point at something nearby, then somehow arrive at an answer that made Poliwag bounce excitedly in agreement.

Half the time, I wasn't convinced Ash had actually understood anything.

The other half...

"Yeah, I see it now!" Ash tugged the rope a little tighter before looking back toward me. "The side was leaning!"

I glanced at the tent.

It was, if only slightly, but tightening the line had straightened the frame enough that the whole thing wouldn't start sagging the first time a strong wind rolled through camp.

Poliwag puffed itself up proudly.

Ash grinned and held up a hand. Poliwag immediately jumped and slapped its tail against his palm in what I could only assume was their improvised version of a high-five.

And there it was again.

That weird…thing Ash did.

One minute he was a loud, snot-nosed nine-year-old who seemed physically incapable of remaining still for more than thirty seconds.

The next, he was completely focused on Poliwag, reacting to every chirp and bounce like the little Pokémon was giving him detailed construction advice instead of yelling its own name repeatedly.

It wasn't intelligence exactly. If anything, Ash seemed powered primarily by enthusiasm and questionable impulse control.

No, what Ash did was commit to everything.

If he was excited, he was completely excited. If a Pokémon wanted his attention, it had all of it. There wasn't any embarrassment, calculation, or concern about whether he looked stupid crouching in the dirt and having an animated conversation with a blue tadpole he'd met barely an hour ago.

And somehow, that made it annoyingly difficult to stay irritated with him.

After another twenty minutes, two incorrectly placed stakes because Ash got distracted again, yet another collapsed corner, Poliwag stealing the mallet, Pichu joining the subsequent chase because apparently loyalty meant nothing anymore, and Ash nearly tripping over a support rope, we finally managed to finish.

Ash planted both hands on his hips and grinned like we'd personally constructed a Pokémon Center. "We did it!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, after many, many delays, we're done." And thank Arceus for that.

With the immediate threat of having to rebuild the damn thing finally gone, I took a proper look at what we'd actually put together.

The tent was enormous.

Maybe not by camping standards around here, but it was easily large enough for Ash and me to sleep without being anywhere near each other, with plenty of room left over for Pichu, Poliwag, our bags, and probably another pair of campers if someone decided four children needed to share.

The canvas was thick, weather-treated, and reinforced along the seams. The flooring wasn't some flimsy plastic sheet either. It had actual insulation underneath, sealed edges, and enough padding that sleeping on uneven ground probably wouldn't be miserable.

I'd grown up in a luxury resort. I knew quality when I saw it, even when it happened to be designed for children to sleep in the dirt.

Apparently Professor Oak didn't see much reason to cheap out when it came to keeping his campers comfortable.

Then again, this was Professor Samuel Oak.

World-famous researcher. Retired Master-level Trainer. The man whose name was attached to more academic papers and patents than I could probably count.

I looked around the campsite again, this time paying a little more attention to the equipment crates, cooking stations, emergency supplies, and a dozen oversized tents made from materials that probably cost more than some families spent on vacations.

It was always nice to see people actually use their money instead of hoarding it away. Even if it was on stuff that many in my Family would consider frivolous.

(Which I didn't. After all, I didn't want a soggy sleeping bag as much as the next person, thank you very much.)

"Alright! Anyone who's finished, over here!"

Amber's voice carried easily across the clearing, pulling my attention away from the tent.

She stood beside the central firepit with two of the other yellow-clad counselors, waving one arm overhead while the rest of the staff continued circulating among the campers who were still fighting for their lives against canvas and aluminum poles.

One tent near the edge of the clearing had somehow ended up upside down. I decided not to ask.

Ash perked up immediately. "What're we doing?"

Amber apparently heard him from halfway across the campsite. "First lesson of the day!"

That got several heads turning.

One of the campers nearby immediately asked the obvious question. "Battling?"

Amber laughed. "Nope!"

The disappointment was palpable.

She pointed toward the covered cooking area. "Lunch!"

That recovered everyone's attention quickly.

Amber waited until the finished pairs had started gathering before continuing. "Alright kiddos, we're going to go over how to safely build, maintain, and cook over a proper campfire. Once your food's done, you get to eat it, so I strongly recommend paying attention unless you enjoy eating charcoal~"

Ash grinned. "Awesome!"

Poliwag bounced beside him in immediate agreement, despite having no idea what we were actually cooking.

I was considerably less enthusiastic.

Cooking over an open flame wasn't exactly unfamiliar territory for me.

Between Danny's annual attempts to turn wilderness survival into a personality trait and Mom's insistence that being heir to a resort meant understanding at least the basics of every department, I'd cooked outdoors plenty of times.

Not gourmet meals or anything ridiculous. Nobody was expecting nine-year-olds to make a five-course Kalosian dinner using a cast-iron skillet and positive thinking.

But basic fire cooking? That was standard survival skills.

I looked toward the cooking area, where Amber was now happily organizing pots, pans, food crates, and what looked suspiciously like several buckets of raw ingredients. Then I looked toward Ash.

He was practically vibrating. Poliwag was vibrating with him. Pichu had already started sniffing toward the food, and I could only sigh.

Looking between the three of them, I already had the sinking suspicion that I was going to be doing most of the cooking.

Yaaaaay.

---

As it turned out, my sinking suspicion had been entirely correct.

I did most of the cooking, and not just for Ash and me either.

Somehow, despite Wilderness Survival being a core subject and Amber spending nearly fifteen minutes demonstrating the exact process step by step, an alarming percentage of the Pikachu Group proved incapable of producing curry without either burning it to the bottom of the pot or creating something with the approximate consistency of wet cement.

By the time Amber wandered over to inspect our food, I'd already taken control of two neighboring pots because watching their owners repeatedly turn up their heat after being specifically told not to was causing me actual physical pain.

Then another pair asked for help.

Then one of the older campers ambled over at the smell.

Then, somehow, one of the counselors sheepishly joined us.

I still wasn't entirely sure how that last one happened.

"Okay, stir slowly," I remembered telling a girl whose name I hadn't caught while adjusting the grate beneath her pot. "You don't need to attack it. It's curry, not a Diglett."

"But it's sticking!"

"Because your fire is too hot."

"So I stir faster?"

"No, you move the pot away from the fire."

Behind her, Amber had very deliberately turned around to hide what I was fairly certain was laughter.

By the time lunch actually happened, I'd cooked enough curry to feed approximately half the group and acquired the deeply unwanted reputation of knowing what I was doing.

Unfortunately, that reputation followed me for the rest of the day.

The afternoon hike wasn't terrible, at least initially. Professor Oak's property stretched far enough into the surrounding wilderness that the counselors could take us onto actual trails without technically leaving his land, and most of the lesson involved basic navigation, identifying safe water sources, and recognizing signs of nearby Pokémon.

Then someone mentioned moss.

"Moss grows north!"

"No, it doesn't."

Three heads turned toward me.

A boy near the front frowned. "Yeah, it does. My uncle told me."

"Your uncle lied to you."

"He didn't lie!"

"Fine. Your uncle is wrong then."

Another camper immediately joined in. "No, he's right! Moss grows on the north side of trees!"

"Yeah, my teacher said..."

I looked toward Amber.

She smiled back at me.

I waited.

She continued smiling.

Oh, for the love of...

"No, moss does not reliably grow on the north side of trees!" I finally snapped, pointing toward the nearest trunk. "Look at this one. It's growing almost completely around it!"

A few of the campers stared at the tree. I swear I could see them try and fail to process the evidence right in front of them.

"But everyone knows it grows on the north side?"

I was mature. I was mentally over twenty years old. I would not scream at the ignorant child.

Thankfully for my sanity, Amber finally stepped forward, looking far too amused. "And that is why we don't rely on moss as a compass. Travis is right. Moisture, shade, tree cover, local terrain, all of those matter considerably more than which direction you're facing."

I narrowed my eyes at her. She clearly could have just started with that.

She winked.

Fishing went worse.

Not because nobody understood how to fish. Several campers actually seemed pretty comfortable with a rod, which made sense considering it was an extremely common pastime and let you interact with Pokémon in a relatively safe manner.

The problem was that none of them could shut up.

Twenty children standing along a riverbank apparently produced enough noise to convince every edible Water-type in the immediate area that swimming as far away from us as possible was preferable to remaining nearby.

Ash and Goh were especially bad.

"YOU'RE PULLING TOO HARD!"

"I'M NOT PULLING TOO HARD!"

"THEN WHY'D THE BAIT COME OFF?!"

"BECAUSE YOU YELLED!"

"I YELLED AFTER IT CAME OFF!"

"YOU WERE YELLING BEFORE THAT!"

I stared blankly at the perfectly still surface of the river, turned to the empty basket beside us, then looked at Pichu.

He looked back at me.

We reached an understanding.

The counselors had already gone over which of the local Pokémon were approved for harvesting and which ones absolutely were not. Pokémon as food was one of those things people from my first life tended not to think about very hard when discussing this world, probably because the alternative raised questions nobody particularly wanted answered.

Yes, people ate Pokémon. Just not all Pokémon, obviously.

There was a considerable moral and legal difference between something operating mostly on animal instinct and a Pokémon intelligent enough to hold conversations, understand complex instructions, or potentially challenge you to a battle over an insult.

The League had entire classifications dealing with that distinction.

The little schooling Water-types currently hiding beneath the riverbank happened to fall firmly into the edible category.

Which meant I felt considerably less guilty about what came next.

"Pichu."

His ears perked.

"Thunder Shock."

A grin spread across his face.

Moments later, the surface erupted in a blast of electricity and steam before a handful of stunned fish Pokémon bobbed upward.

For several seconds, nobody said anything.

Goh slowly turned toward me. "Isn't that cheating?"

I was already crouched down and grabbing fish to put in my basket. "We are trying to acquire food, and I don't plan to starve."

Yamper barked excitedly from beside Chloe. His cheeks began crackling.

Chloe immediately grabbed him around the middle. "No!"

"Yam!"

"No, Yamper! No helping!"

Dinner, somehow, was even worse, and I still didn't understand how.

We were cooking fish on sticks.

Fish. On. Sticks.

There were no pots to manage. No complicated heat distribution. No ingredients that had to be added in a specific order. Amber demonstrated how far to keep the food from the flames and explained that you rotated it periodically until it cooked through.

That was it.

Yet somehow!

"Why is mine black?!"

"Hot hot hot hot!"

"Mine taste funny!"

"It's on fire! Someone get a Water Type!"

I could only stare at the sky, silently mourning my neck.

If this was how the first day of camp went, I was going to develop a crick in my neck by day three.

By sunset, I'd ended up helping cook enough food that I was beginning to suspect Amber had unofficially promoted me to junior counselor without bothering to mention it. The rest of the staff certainly seemed comfortable sending people my way.

"Travis knows how to do it."

"Ask Travis."

"Travis, could you show them?"

At some point, I started wondering whether I could invoice Professor Oak. The counselors had apparently discovered that having one of the campers who already knew what he was doing was significantly easier than repeating themselves for the fifteenth time.

By the time darkness properly settled over the campsite, I was exhausted.

Not physically exhausted, mind you. Danny had put me through considerably worse, and nothing we'd done today had been particularly strenuous.

Mentally, though?

I wanted quiet.

The firepit crackled at the center of camp while the last orange light faded between the trees. Most of the Pikachu Group had gathered around it with blankets, cups of warm drinks, and the apparently mandatory camping dessert of roasted marshmallows crushed between crackers and chocolate.

I had declined.

Growing up around the kind of people who imported handmade Kalosian chocolate by the case had ruined me for the store-bought stuff. Privilege was terrible like that.

So while everyone else slowly developed sugar highs, I moved to the edge of the clearing where our tent was set up, parked myself on one of the helpfully provided log benches, and pulled my textbook back out. Pichu sat nearby and settled into our evening practice with reluctant acceptance. I had trained him well.

Finally, peace and quiet.

"Hey, Travis!"

My eyes closed. I don't know why I bother anymore.

Ash dropped onto the log beside me with a paper plate balanced precariously in one hand. The remains of at least two s'mores were smeared across his fingers, and Poliwag bounced along behind him with a sticky patch of marshmallow somehow attached to the top of his head.

Goh arrived seconds later, followed at a much more reasonable pace by Chloe and Yamper. They didn't even bother asking permission before planting themselves on another log nearby.

I still wasn't entirely sure how Ash and Goh had become friends so quickly. Their introduction that afternoon hadn't exactly inspired confidence. Goh had said something unintentionally insulting, Ash had taken it very intentionally, and within thirty seconds the two were arguing loudly enough that I had started developing a headache.

Then Ash shoved Goh.

Goh shoved Ash back.

Neither remembered they were standing beside the river.

By the time we'd hauled them back onto shore, they were laughing and arguing about who had dragged who into the water like they'd known each other for years.

Children were weird.

Chloe, thank Lugia, remained the sole sane anchor in my rapidly expanding circle of childish chaos. She was quickly becoming my favorite.

"WMhat're mou meading?" Ash asked around a mouthful of marshmallow.

I didn't look up. "A book."

I could practically hear his frown. "I meant what kind of book!"

"Business."

Before Ash could ask another question, Poliwag bounced forward and reached curiously toward Pichu. There was a tiny snap.

"Poli!"

Poliwag recoiled, shaking his tail rapidly while a faint spark danced across his skin.

Ash immediately leaned forward. "Poliwag! Are you okay?"

"Wag..." Poliwag stared accusingly toward Pichu.

Pichu hadn't moved.

The little Electric-type sat beside me with his legs crossed, eyes closed, and paws resting against his knees. Faint arcs of electricity rolled across his cheeks and occasionally danced through his fur before fading again.

Goh cocked his head as he examined my sparking Starter. "What's he doing?"

"Training."

That earned three different looks.

Chloe tilted her head. "Right now?"

I shook my head without looking up. "We missed our daily exercises this morning, so he's gotta make it up now."

Pichu's ear twitched in annoyance.

Then I remembered something. "Ah, nearly forgot." I reached over and tapped Pichu gently between the ears. The static shock barely bothered me after a few weeks of experience. "Time to switch it up."

He immediately perked up.

I dug through my bag until I found the small mechanical metronome I'd brought from home and set it on the log beside him.

Ash leaned closer. "What's that?"

"A metronome."

Goh frowned. "For music?"

"Usually."

I adjusted the dial and let go. A steady 'tick tock tick tock' could clearly be heard.

Pichu closed his eyes again.

On the next tick, sparks surged across his cheeks.

Tock.

They stopped.

Tick.

Electricity returned.

Tock.

Gone.

Goh practically crawled forward, trying to get a better look. "He's turning Charge on and off every time it clicks?"

I hummed. He identified the move fast. "That's the idea."

"The basic idea is control," I continued. "Charge is useful, but Pichu used to take too long getting it started. So we practice activating it, shutting it down, then activating it again. We keep the amount of energy low during this version so he can repeat the process without exhausting himself."

Goh's eyes had gone wide again. "So you're training how fast he can use the Move!"

I nodded while flipping a page. "What you saw when you came over was the other version. That one's about retention. A Pokémon can't hold Charge forever, after all. Eventually the energy either has to be bled off safely or given an outlet through another Electric-type move. The goal there is making that window longer."

"Between both versions, we're training activation speed, duration, and control." I scratched my cheek. "And since Charge is basically forcing him to gather and hold more Electric energy than he'd normally keep ready at once, it helps work his reserves too. Not dramatically, but doing it regularly adds up."

That was actually a bit of an understatement. I'd had Pichu doing variations of this almost from the moment I got him, and in barely a month his usable reserves had nearly doubled.

Which sounded considerably more impressive until you remembered how shallow those reserves had been when we started, but progress was progress.

That didn't stop Ash from staring at Pichu like he'd suddenly transformed into something incredible. "That's awesome!"

Pichu's chest puffed slightly.

Aaaand his Charge immediately flickered out of rhythm.

I raised an eyebrow.

He deflated and went back to concentrating.

Goh didn't even notice. He had started muttering under his breath, apparently trying to reorganize the information into whatever internal Pokédex lived inside his skull.

Chloe, on the other hand, looked down toward Yamper.

"Could Yamper do that?"

I shrugged. "Does he know Charge?"

"Yeah."

"Then probably."

Her eyebrows rose.

I chuckled at her expression. "Look, all you need is a Pokémon that knows Charge, something that keeps a steady rhythm, and enough patience to repeat the same exercise once a day. Start slow, though. Yamper's limits aren't going to be the same as Pichu's."

Chloe nodded thoughtfully as she looked down at Yamper, no doubt already considering how she could adapt the exercise for him. Goh immediately started asking something about whether the rhythm mattered, Ash jumped in with another question of his own, and within seconds the three of them had managed to spin off into an entirely different conversation.

I huffed in amusement as they carried on without me, then reached over and stopped the metronome.

The steady ticking died, and Pichu's ears twitched at the sudden silence before his eyes slowly opened.

"It was a long day. We'll pack it in early tonight."

He gave a tired little chirp and visibly relaxed, static fading from his cheeks as I reached into one of the smaller pouches on my bag. A handful of Chesto Berries came out.

Pichu stared at them. Then at me.

I raised a brow.

He stared for another second before releasing a deeply put-upon sigh and taking one.

That alone would have looked strange to anyone who knew him particularly well. Pichu was many things, but reluctant to eat was not one of them. Usually, producing a handful of Berries was enough to get his undivided attention. The fact that he was staring at these like I'd handed him medicine said plenty.

Still, he bit into it. Slowly.

That part was even stranger.

Normally, putting anything vaguely Berry-shaped within reach of Pichu was an excellent way to lose a finger if you weren't paying attention. Tonight, though, he sat quietly beside me and chewed at an almost lazy pace while I handed him another.

The others barely noticed. Ash and Goh were already halfway into whatever argument they'd found this time, while Chloe occasionally interrupted whenever one of them said something particularly stupid.

I couldn't help the small smirk that pulled at my lips. My fingers settled between Pichu's ears, gently rubbing through his fur as he continued chewing.

His eyelids had begun to droop just enough that his gaze lost some of its focus, his chewing slowing another fraction as he stared somewhere beyond the campsite without actually looking at anything.

Barely noticeable beneath the firelight, a faint blue glow slowly settled into his half-lidded eyes.

Pichu didn't react. He simply took another sleepy bite of Chesto Berry and leaned slightly into my hand, looking for all the world like he was half-asleep while everyone else talked around him.

My smile widened.

---

Author's Note:

Hope it's not too presumptuous, but I've got a Patreon up and running! If you want to read 5 chapters ahead or just support me in general, feel free to visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / IcurasFallen

 

[MarcusDeGabriel]

Going back to the funny half-brothers idea, given that Ash is predisposed to Aura it'd be cool to see Travis lean towards Psychic. Not to be amazingly strong, just good enough to be talented at the basics, especially given his upbringing with Alakazam.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Absolute Cinema
The Journey continues
Cheers !

 

[AnInnocentBystander]

Being Travis is suffering.

I'm a little confused about the last scene, Chesto Berries are supposed to wake Pokemon up and it was mentioned that Pichu is Sassy, which looks to be ambivalent about dry flavored foods...what am I missing?

 

[Aura_Guardian]

Barely noticeable beneath the firelight, a faint blue glow slowly settled into his half-lidded eyes.

Click to shrink...

Ooooh, bringing out some of that psychic energy, guess learning to use it now will help later Reflect or Light Screen I assume?

Thanks for the chapter!

 

[Azzy Rael]

Going back to the funny half-brothers idea, given that Ash is predisposed to Aura it'd be cool to see Travis lean towards Psychic. Not to be amazingly strong, just good enough to be talented at the basics, especially given his upbringing with Alakazam.

Click to shrink...

Richie is the Psychic of the looks like Ash family. (Though that could be me remembering another fic)

 

[MarcusDeGabriel]

Richie is the Psychic of the looks like Ash family. (Though that could be me remembering another fic)

Click to shrink...

Admittedly it was a quick search, but i couldn't find anything about Richie being psychic.

 

[IcurasFallen]

Richie is the Psychic of the looks like Ash family. (Though that could be me remembering another fic)

Click to shrink...

I'm pretty sure you read Ashes of the Past by Saphroneth over on Fanfiction.net, and got it mixed up with canon, lol.

Honestly, can't blame you though, it's a good read. One of the more popular "Ash goes back to Journey Start" pics, and while it uses quite a few of the more hammy tropes, I still consider it a good read.

 

[Agnam]

I couldn't help the small smirk that pulled at my lips. My fingers settled between Pichu's ears, gently rubbing through his fur as he continued chewing.

His eyelids had begun to droop just enough that his gaze lost some of its focus, his chewing slowing another fraction as he stared somewhere beyond the campsite without actually looking at anything.

Barely noticeable beneath the firelight, a faint blue glow slowly settled into his half-lidded eyes.

Pichu didn't react. He simply took another sleepy bite of Chesto Berry and leaned slightly into my hand, looking for all the world like he was half-asleep while everyone else talked around him.

My smile widened.

Click to shrink...

I'm a little confused about the last scene, Chesto Berries are supposed to wake Pokemon up and it was mentioned that Pichu is Sassy, which looks to be ambivalent about dry flavored foods...what am I missing?

Click to shrink...

Ooooh, bringing out some of that psychic energy, guess learning to use it now will help later Reflect or Light Screen I assume?

Click to shrink...

So, unless there's some lore or game mechanics around Chesto Berries, Natures, Psychic-Types to-be and taste preferences I'm missing, I think Travis is putting his Pichu into a half-asleep state to meditate and strengthen his Psychic potential, preparing him for his eventual Dual Typing. Maybe even get a Psychic-Type Move early. The Chesto is to make sure he doesn't fall asleep and stays stuck in that trance-like state.

As for why he's reluctant to eat it, taste profiles aside, that state is, in my personal experience, uncomfortable, especially if you're tired and want to go to sleep.

 

[IcurasFallen]

So, unless there's some lore or game mechanics around Chesto Berries, Natures, Psychic-Types to-be and taste preferences I'm missing, I think Travis is putting his Pichu into a half-asleep state to meditate and strengthen his Psychic potential and prepare him for his eventual Dual Typing, maybe even get a Psychic-Type Move early. The Chesto is to make sure he doesn't fall asleep and stays stuck in that trance-like state.

As for why he's reluctant to eat it, taste profiles aside, that state is, in my personal experience, uncomfortable, especially if you're tired and want to go to sleep.

Click to shrink...

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

Your prize is the knowledge that you figured it out and can look forward to the next chapter! (Oh, and here's a cookie. Not a real cookie, but now the idea of a cookie is in your head, and you want one. You're welcome : )

 

[Agnam]

(Oh, and here's a cookie. Not a real cookie, but now the idea of a cookie is in your head, and you want one. You're welcome : )

Click to shrink...

Is it at least a Lava Cookie? Genuinely always wanted to try one of those in real life.

 

[IcurasFallen]

Pokémon Version Orange

Arc 2 - The Summer


Chapter 14
​

---

The next few days settled into something resembling a routine. Not a quiet routine, mind you, but if nothing else, I could admit it was interesting.

This was a summer camp populated by several dozen children, all of whom had been handed temporary access to superpowered wildlife and were being actively encouraged to explore the outdoors. I would have been greatly disappointed if things weren't at least a little interesting from time to time.

Wake up. Breakfast. Morning activity. Lunch. Afternoon activity. Free time. Dinner. Then whatever evening lesson or game the counselors had dreamed up that day. The day would usually end with everyone getting shuffled toward their tents with increasingly stern reminders that 'No, just because you can see by starlight does not mean you can stay up past your bedtime.'

Professor Oak had been rather straightforward about what we would be learning when camp started. Wilderness safety, Pokémon care, field identification, navigation, campcraft, and basic battle etiquette were all things I absolutely agreed every prospective Trainer should know before the League handed them a Trainer license, pointed toward the nearest Route, and wished them luck.

The problem was how those lessons were taught.

Professor Oak's camp was designed for children, which, yes, technically included me, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

To their credit, the counselors were actually very good at keeping everyone engaged. Very little of the week involved sitting in rows while someone lectured us about which end of a Weedle not to grab. Almost everything had been converted into some kind of game, competition, scavenger hunt, or team exercise meant to hammer the lesson home without making the campers realize they were essentially still in school.

Field identification became Berry Bingo, where each team received a laminated card covered in pictures and descriptions along with an instant camera before being sent into a supervised section of woodland to fill as much of their card as possible. Some squares wanted specific Berries. Others asked for things like a leaf with serrated edges, evidence of a Bug-type nest, three signs that a Pokémon had recently passed through the area, or a plant that looked edible but absolutely wasn't. The counselors even hid a few convincing fake examples around the trail.

I had to admit that part was clever. Watching three children proudly carry what they thought was a bundle of medicinal herbs back to Amber, only for her to reveal that they'd collected a plant capable of causing two days of uncontrollable itching, probably taught them more than a worksheet ever would.

That didn't make spending nearly two hours wandering around identifying plants I'd learned about years ago any more stimulating.

Ash, naturally, treated Berry Bingo like we were searching for lost treasure. He and Poliwag tore through the undergrowth with enough enthusiasm that Amber had to remind them twice that "find evidence of a wild Pokémon" did not mean "follow that evidence until you find the wild Pokémon."

Goh took the opposite approach. The moment he realized some of the squares required identifying tracks, nests, feathers, shed scales, and other Pokémon signs, the game stopped being a game and became an unsanctioned research expedition. Caterpie spent most of that morning perched on his shoulder while Goh filled the margins of his card with notes nobody had asked for and argued that partial footprints should count for additional points if he could correctly identify the species.

They did not, and he remained offended about that until lunch.

Chloe was the only other person who seemed capable of remembering that the objective was simply to finish the card.

Naturally, she and I won.

Pokémon care received the same treatment. There were grooming exercises, feeding games, basic first aid disguised as "playing doctor," and a particularly chaotic activity where the counselors gave everyone cards describing hypothetical symptoms and had us figure out whether the Pokémon in question was hungry, tired, overheated, stressed, sick, injured, or simply being difficult.

That last category appeared far more often than most expected, and Pichu took personal offense when I pointed that out.

Still, that part of camp had actually been interesting to watch. Not because I learned much, but because the temporary partners were starting to settle into a proper rhythm with their Trainers.

Goh's Caterpie was spending considerably less time inside its Poké Ball. He still insisted that it wasn't a big deal, usually whenever Chloe looked too pleased with the fact that Caterpie had started climbing onto him without hesitation, but his actions were becoming increasingly disconnected from his protests. By the end of the second day alone, he was automatically checking whether Caterpie had eaten before grabbing his own dinner.

I did not comment on this. Chloe did enough smug smiling for both of us.

Ash and Poliwag, meanwhile, had apparently decided boundaries were totally optional and should be ignored in the name of fun. The two were nearly inseparable whenever camp activities allowed it. Poliwag followed Ash everywhere, Ash talked to Poliwag constantly, and somehow each seemed to encourage the other's already questionable amount of energy.

I had seen Poliwag stay still exactly twice, and both times had been when Ash himself was asleep.

Battle etiquette ended up being particularly amusing. Rather than immediately letting everyone throw their Pokémon at one another, the counselors staged mock situations. Someone played the challenger. Someone else played the Trainer being challenged. Other campers acted as referees, bystanders, or occasionally the unfortunate person whose picnic had been interrupted by two idiots deciding that the middle of a public path was a perfectly reasonable battlefield.

(At least, the counselors tried to make it seem like that one was part of the lesson. Given the unimpressed look Professor Oak gave them when he thought none of us campers were watching, I suspected his lunch break hadn't been part of the original lesson plan.)

We practiced establishing boundaries, checking whether nearby people or Pokémon could be endangered, agreeing on match conditions, recognizing when a partner was too tired to continue, and understanding that "but he challenged me!" did not magically absolve you of responsibility for property damage.

Considering I already had a referee license, you can imagine my excitement. Amber certainly did, considering she made me demonstrate half of it.

By the fourth time someone asked me whether a Pokémon leaving the designated field counted as a loss, I started considering whether faking heatstroke would get me excused.

It probably wouldn't. Most of the counselors actually knew what heatstroke looked like.

Still, by the fourth morning of camp, we were finally introduced to something I had both been expecting and dreading since I learned we were going to be separated into groups.

Namely, the team competitions.

---

Breakfast had barely finished before every camp group was called back toward the broad lawn behind Professor Oak's Laboratory, marking the first time all of us had been gathered together since orientation.


After three days spent mostly around the same twenty people, I'd almost forgotten just how many children Professor Oak had invited onto his property.

The lawn quickly became a sea of colored lanyards as the Pikachu Group mixed with the Eevee, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander Groups, while all the temporary partners made organizing everyone that much more difficult. Pidgey hopped from shoulder to shoulder, a Nidoran had apparently developed a fascination with a camper's shoelaces, and somewhere near the back, an Oddish responded to its camper watering it by immediately burying itself halfway into Professor Oak's lawn.

The counselors moved through the mess with practiced efficiency, slowly herding everyone toward their proper groups while Professor Oak watched from the porch with the disturbingly peaceful expression of a man who had witnessed this exact chaos enough times to know it would eventually sort itself out.

A sharp whistle finally brought the remaining conversations down to a murmur.

Professor Oak stepped forward with a broad smile. "Good morning, everyone! I hope you've all enjoyed your time in camp so far, because today will be our first team competition: Pokémon Orienteering!"

The lawn erupted.

Not everyone cheered, but enough did that I had to resist rubbing my ears. Ash was practically vibrating a few feet away, while Goh immediately started staring toward the assistants behind the Professor as if he could divine the rules from whatever they were carrying.

Professor Oak allowed the noise to run its course before gesturing toward the aforementioned assistants. Each carried a stack of folded maps and small cards marked with several empty spaces.

"The rules are fairly straightforward. You'll be divided into teams of four or five campers, with one counselor accompanying each group. Every team will receive a map of the supervised activity area, a checkpoint card, and a clue directing you toward your first destination."

He held up one of the cards so everyone could see it.

"Hidden throughout the course are several checkpoints. Your goal is to find the correct location, stamp your card, and collect another clue directing you toward the next location. Once you've located every checkpoint, return here with a completed card to earn points for your team."

Somebody near the front immediately shouted, "So the first team back wins?!"

Professor Oak chuckled. "No, as I said before, this is a team competition. Everyone must play their part and complete the activity to the best of their ability if they wish to acquire points for their team."

A few campers visibly deflated.

I pretended not to notice how Ash was one of them.

Professor Oak's smile became just a little more knowing. "Your maps will only show the general layout of the area. They will not identify the checkpoints themselves, and the clues may require you to pay attention to landmarks, terrain, Pokémon signs, or other things we've covered over the last few days."

I actually perked up. I was admittedly a fan of puzzle games, so this might actually be interesting.

"Your counselors will travel with you," Professor Oak continued before anyone could rush forward to try and claim their items, "but they are there primarily for safety. They will not solve clues for you, tell you which direction to travel, or correct every poor decision before you make it."

Several counselors exchanged amused looks.

He clapped his hands together. "You are free to team up however you like, but your teammates must come from within your own camp group, so please stay with your groups while we split everyone up. Once you have your team locked in, your counselor will collect your activity materials and starting location."

That was apparently permission for the entire lawn to descend into chaos again.

"Mine!"

I nearly jumped as Amber materialized beside us with one hand planted firmly atop my shoulder.

Another yellow-vested counselor stopped several feet away and groaned. "Oh, come on, Amber! You can't just call dibs on all four of them."

Amber just smiled brightly. "Too bad~ I already did!"

The other counselor folded his arms. "You're taking both of the responsible ones and the entertainment?!"

My brows slowly rose as I gave them both an unimpressed look.

Ash frowned. "Who's the entertainment?"

Goh spoke up at exactly the wrong moment. "Probably you."

"What?! Why me?!"

Amber's smile widened as the two immediately started arguing, proving that they were probably referring to both of them.

I wasn't entirely sure whether I should feel complimented or insulted by the fact that Chloe and I had apparently become desirable counselor assets while Ash and Goh were being treated like free live entertainment.

Probably both.

Pichu certainly found it funny, considering the way his paws covered his mouth while muffled chitters shook his body.

The counselors finally finished their argument, with Amber the obvious "winner," judging by her smug grin, and the other counselor walked away with a scowl.

"Alright, kiddos, stay right here. I'll grab our packet and find out where we're starting."

I could only sigh as she happily skipped away.

Then a voice I'd become depressingly familiar with carried over from somewhere behind us and caused my sigh to turn into an outright groan.

"Well, well, well. Look who got stuck together."

Ash stiffened.

I closed my eyes in defeat.

Gary approached from the Eevee Group with Rattata trotting beside him, the little Normal-type already looking considerably more comfortable around him than it had during their first battle. Three other campers followed alongside, accompanied by a brown-vested counselor who had the resigned expression of someone who had spent enough time around Gary to know stopping him before he started was a lost cause.

Gary's grin sharpened the second Ash turned around. "Hope your team isn't planning on winning. You're gonna be eating our dust the whole way!"

Ash's face twisted as he went nearly nose to nose with his 'rival'. "No way! We're gonna beat you!"

Gary scoffed before raising his nose in the air. "You couldn't even find your way to camp on time!"

Ash's face reddened. "That was different!"

"How?"

"I...because it was!"

"Wow, amazing argument, Ashy-boy."

"Shut up!"

Both of their hands dropped almost simultaneously toward the Poké Balls at their belts.

Before I could decide whether physically separating them fell under my responsibilities as the closest functional adult-brained person, a hand shot out from behind Gary.

"Ow!" Gary jerked sideways as the hand snagged his ear like a vice. "V-Violet! Let go!"

"Oh, let me think…no."

The girl who stepped into view was considerably more cheerful than her struggling groupmate.

She looked around our age, with appropriately dark violet hair divided into two short braids beneath a pale green sunhat. A Zigzagoon sat at her feet, its striped tail swishing lazily while it watched Gary struggle with what I could only interpret as familiarity.

"You promised you weren't going to start another battle before the competition started."

"He started it!"

"You're the one who came over here!" Ash argued back.

Gary pointed at him with his free hand, wincing when the movement tugged at his trapped ear. "Because I was telling you we're gonna win!"

"That still means you started it!"

"No, it doesn't—Ow! That hurts, Violet!"

I liked her already.

Violet finally glanced toward the rest of us and seemed to realize she'd acquired an audience. Rather than getting embarrassed, she gave us a bright smile while continuing to hold Gary captive.

"Sorry. Gary here tends to bathe in smug every morning." She shifted her grip slightly before offering her free hand. "I'm Violet Otter."

Something about the name immediately scratched at the business-oriented corner of my memory.

My eyes dropped toward the Zigzagoon beside her, then returned to the girl. "Are you from Hoenn?"

Her face lit up. "Yeah! Lilycove!"

That made the connection click. "Any relation to Marlon Otter, president of the Pokéblock company?"

Violet's smile somehow grew wider. "That's my uncle!"

Huh.

I'd never met the man personally, but I knew the name. Anyone who spent enough time around hospitality suppliers eventually learned which companies controlled what markets, and the Otter family had made an unreasonable amount of money turning mashed Berries into brightly colored cubes that Coordinators treated like culinary science.

Mom had complained about their wholesale pricing more than once.

Small world.

"Seriously?" Goh immediately stepped closer, Gary and Ash apparently forgotten. "Your family makes Pokéblocks?"

"Yep!" Violet smiled happily before turning as they're counceler called out. She gave us another cheerful wave before walking back toward her team. "It was nice to meet you and hopefully beat you all!"

Gary had little choice but to follow. "Ow! Violet! Come on!"

Ash didn't even try to hide his laughter.

Then Chloe caught him by the ear.

"Ack!"

I had to bite down hard on the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Pichu didn't even make an attempt not to.

Ash twisted around in disbelief. "Chloe!"

"If he has to go back to his team, so do you."

"But I wasn't doing anything!"

"You were about five seconds away from starting another fight!"

"He was doing it too!"

Chloe began walking, and Ash followed because ears were apparently excellent motivational tools.

From halfway across the lawn, Gary spotted what was happening and started laughing so hard that Violet immediately caught him by the ear again.

Balance had been restored to the universe.

Amber returned a few minutes later with a folded map tucked beneath one arm, while the other held our checkpoint card, a small emergency whistle, and a sealed envelope with a bright yellow Pikachu sticker slapped across the front.

"Alright, Team Amber, I've got our stuff!"

I stared at her flatly.

She smiled back brightly. "Problem, Travis~?"

I squinted at her, gave a moment's thought to actually arguing about the name, then sighed. "No."

"That's what I thought!"

Before we could go down that particular Buneary hole, however, Professor Oak's voice carried across the lawn once again.

"Attention, everyone! Once your counselor has collected your materials, you'll have thirty minutes to reach your assigned starting position and familiarize yourselves with your map and first clue. You may discuss the clue beforehand, but no team is permitted to leave its starting area until the signal is given!"

That immediately sent another wave of activity through the crowd. Counselors began calling names, campers started comparing maps, and more than one team hurried away like the thirty-minute preparation period was somehow already part of the race.

Amber unfolded a small slip attached to our packet and checked it against the map. "Looks like we're starting east of here. Come on, kiddos."

Our walk took us away from the main Laboratory grounds and onto one of the narrower trails winding through Professor Oak's property. The sounds of the other teams gradually faded behind us as different groups peeled away toward their own starting points, leaving little more than rustling leaves and the occasional distant call of a Pokémon somewhere deeper in the woods.

We ended up crossing a fenced meadow that led into a small orchard, followed a stream for several hundred yards, and entered yet another patch of woodland that Professor Oak apparently also owned.

I could only shake my head at the third distinct stretches of woodland in barely ten minutes of walking. "Seriously, how much land does this man own?"

Amber glanced back. "A lot."

"That isn't a measurement."

"It is when you're talking about Professor Oak."

I couldn't even argue with that.

The man owned enough property to maintain multiple Pokémon habitats, several campsites, miles of hiking trails, research enclosures, farmland, woodland, streams, and apparently enough empty space to scatter dozens of children across without any of us accidentally colliding.

Somewhere along the line, Professor Oak had stopped owning a large research property and started owning what I was pretty certain was an entire valley, with the distant foothills apparently thrown in for good measure.

Eventually, the trees opened around a shallow stream crossed by a narrow stone bridge, with a small yellow flag planted beside one end.

Amber checked the number printed on it against our packet. "And this is us."

Ash immediately leaned over the bridge to look into the water. Poliwag copied him from below, hopping onto one of the lower stones until Ash grabbed him before he could tumble straight into the stream.

Naturally, Goh took the map.

Chloe joined him while I lowered my bag beside the bridge and allowed Pichu to hop from my shoulder onto the broad stone railing. Yamper wandered nearby with his nose practically glued to the ground, apparently investigating every scent within range, whether it was relevant to the competition or not.

Amber checked the time. "We've got a little over ten minutes before the starting signal, so let's see what we've got."

She broke the seal on the envelope and cleared her throat with enough ceremony to suggest she had been waiting all morning for this.

"Your first clue," she announced. "Two wandering ribbons race beneath the sky, each taking its own path as it passes by. Search for the place where separate journeys end, and two flowing paths become a single friend."

I blinked. Then I looked at the map.

Two streams ran through the eastern half of Professor Oak's property and joined less than a mile north of us.

Well, that was easy.

"So looks like we're heading toward the..."

"WHAT DO YOU THREE THINK?"

Amber's sudden shout made everyone jump.

She planted both hands on her hips and smiled expectantly at Chloe, Ash, and Goh like I hadn't opened my mouth at all.

I narrowed my eyes.

Amber glanced at me sideways and winked.

I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the side of the bridge. Apparently, immediately solving the clue myself would somewhat defeat the entire point of the activity.

Fine, I'd behave.

Goh took the clue card from Amber and immediately started rereading it. "Two wandering ribbons... so probably something long and narrow."

"Roads!" Ash said.

Goh frowned. "Roads don't move."

"People move on roads."

"The clue says the ribbons are moving."

"Maybe it means the people!"

"Then why call the roads ribbons?"

Ash folded his arms and nodded seriously. "Because it's a riddle!"

"That doesn't mean words stop meaning things!"

Chloe sighed and moved between them before the first clue somehow became a philosophical debate about language. "Okay, stop. The important parts are probably wandering ribbons, separate journeys, and whatever it means by becoming one."

"Exactly," Goh said, immediately turning back toward the clue. "Something moving along two different paths that eventually connects..." His eyes dropped to the map. "And if they're supposed to be paths, then maybe we're looking for two routes that meet somewhere."

There were, admittedly, several lines winding across the map. A few smaller streams twisted farther west, another narrow creek crossed one of the southern trails, and the two larger streams Goh had almost noticed wound independently through the northern woods.

They began talking over possibilities again, though at a thankfully lower volume.

Pichu, however, had gone quiet.

At first, I didn't think anything of it. He was simply sitting beside me atop the bridge railing as he listened to Ash and Goh argue. His ears shifted occasionally toward whoever was speaking, tracking the argument even while his eyes wandered between the map and the stream below.

His nose scrunched slightly.

I could only watch in curiosity as he hopped down from the railing and landed beside the map.

Nobody paid much attention.

Goh was still tracing one of the waterways with his finger while explaining why it probably mattered; Ash kept insisting that they shouldn't assume flowing automatically meant water, and Chloe was attempting to get both of them to consider the entire clue instead of fighting over individual words.

Then Pichu's ears perked up.

"Pichu!" One tiny paw slapped against the paper.

Everyone went silent.

Goh blinked. "What?"

Pichu tapped the same point again.

"Chu!"

I leaned closer.

Right beneath his paw was the confluence I'd spotted almost immediately. The two larger streams curved through separate stretches of woodland before joining into a single waterway.

For a moment, nobody said anything.

Then Chloe's eyes widened. "That's where they meet."

Goh practically folded himself across the map. "Wait!"

His finger traced the first stream. Then the second.

"Two wandering ribbons. They're both moving water."

Ash leaned over from the opposite side. "And they become one there!"

Pichu chirped proudly.

I stared at him.

That was...huh.

Pichu turned toward me, and the smug little grin spreading across his face told me he knew exactly how impressed I was.

I slowly smiled back. "Well, look at you, fuzzball."

His chest immediately puffed out.

Ash crouched beside him with a grin. "Nice one, Pichu!"

"Pi!"

Goh was already studying the route between our starting bridge and the confluence with considerably more enthusiasm now that Pichu had solved the problem for him. Chloe reached down and scratched behind one of Pichu's ears, earning an even smugger little chirp.

Amber, meanwhile, glanced toward me.

I gave her a flat look.

She winked again.

Yes, yes, I got the point. If she'd let me answer immediately, none of that would have happened. I still wasn't going to tell her she was right.

A distant horn suddenly echoed across Professor Oak's property.

Amber checked her watch. "And that's the starting signal."

Ash was already moving before she'd finished the sentence. "Come on!"

"Ash, wait! We have a map!"

"But we know where we're going!"

"That doesn't mean you leave the person holding the map behind!"

Goh scrambled after him with Chloe close behind, Yamper barking excitedly as he raced at her heels. Poliwag bounced after Ash like this was the greatest thing that had happened all week.

I sighed and picked up my bag while Pichu leapt back onto my shoulder.

It seems we're speed-running this.

Fun.

---

As it turned out, Pichu's first contribution wasn't a fluke.

Over the next few hours, we worked our way steadily from one checkpoint to another, and after Amber's earlier intervention, I made a conscious effort not to immediately solve everything myself.

It was harder than it sounded.

Some of the clues were clearly designed with nine-year-olds in mind, which meant I usually had an answer within a few seconds. Still, whenever everyone else was making actual progress, I kept my mouth shut and let them work through it.

More surprisingly, I started doing the same with Pichu.

The little fuzzball had apparently decided that puzzle solving was fun.

Every time we reached another checkpoint, he immediately perked up and started paying attention. He obviously couldn't read the clue cards, but once someone read them aloud, his ears would twitch while everyone talked through the possibilities. Sometimes he just sat on my shoulder and listened. Other times he'd hop down to inspect whatever map, object, or landmark had caught everyone's attention.

He wasn't always right. Neither were the rest of them, but the fact that he was actually trying made it difficult not to smile whenever his little face scrunched up in concentration.

It helped that not every checkpoint involved riddles.

One had us arranging a collection of painted stones according to markings we'd seen along the trail. Another required finding several wooden tokens hidden around a clearing and figuring out which ones formed the symbol stamped onto our card. There was even a simple balancing puzzle involving a set of weighted Berry replicas that Ash somehow managed to turn into a competition with Goh despite there being absolutely no benefit to finishing before everyone else.

By the time we reached the cave portion of the course, I was almost enjoying myself.

Almost.

"We need to go left."

Goh stopped halfway toward the opposite tunnel. "Why?"

I pointed toward the ceiling above him.

A faint squeak drifted through the darkness.

Goh slowly lifted his flashlight and revealed several dozen small shapes hanging upside down from the stone ahead.

He immediately went still.

"And that is why we pay attention to markings, kiddos," Amber whispered, gesturing to a series of scratch marks along portions of the cave walls leading to the nest.

"Especially when they indicate something much stronger than the norm is present." My hand ran over one particular scratch mark larger than the rest. Its almost X-shaped design indicated that a Crobat was part of said horde.

The others audibly gulped at the size and number of markings. "R-Right."

By the time we emerged back into daylight, our checkpoint card was nearly full. Small stamps covered almost every marked space, ranging from tiny Pokémon silhouettes to miniature Berry designs, leaving only one stubbornly empty square near the bottom.

Our last checkpoint.

And, judging by the map, we weren't far from it.

"We're almost there!" Ash announced for perhaps the fourth time in ten minutes, charging several steps ahead with Poliwag before having to backtrack when the rest of us maintained a simple walking pace.

Goh had taken responsibility for the map again and was directing us down a narrow trail through the trees, with Chloe beside him checking the latest clue card. Amber walked a short distance behind, apparently content to let us handle things now that nobody was in immediate danger of wandering into a Zubat colony.

Then Poliwag stopped abruptly enough that Ash nearly stepped on him.

"Whoa!" He stumbled sideways before catching himself. "Poliwag?"

The Water-type didn't answer. He stood perfectly still in the middle of the trail with his body turned toward the forest to our right.

Pichu's ears twitched against my cheek, and I glanced toward him to find that he was looking in the same direction. A quick glance down showed that Yamper was much the same.

None of the Pokémon seemed frightened. Pichu's fur hadn't risen, there wasn't so much as a spark around his cheeks, and Poliwag wasn't backing away or showing any obvious signs of danger.

If anything, they all looked curious.

"What is it?" Chloe asked, noticing we'd stopped.

"I don't know."

For half a second, everything remained still.

Then Poliwag bolted straight into the underbrush.

"Poliwag!"

And, of course, Ash went after him without hesitation.

"Ash!" Chloe shouted.

Goh stared after him. "Where's he going?!"

"Take a guess!" I shouted, following the living disaster magnet before I even realized my feet were moving.

Rushing into the underbrush, I fell back on years of wilderness training as I followed after my not-a-clone. Going by how quickly the sound of him crashing through the foliage was getting farther away, however, Ash's impression of a charging Tauros was letting him cover ground considerably faster than my more methodical approach.

I heard Chloe and Goh somewhere behind me, with Amber calling for everyone to stay together, but none of them were gaining on him either.

Finally, the sounds of Ash's frantic rush stopped, and his voice soon drifted through the trees.

"There ya go!"

I pushed through one final patch of brush and stepped into a small clearing.

Ash stood near the center of the clearing while Poliwag bounced beside him anxiously from one foot to the other, but that wasn't what caught my attention.

Ash had an arm wrapped around a girl I'd never seen before.

"Thanks," she murmured, pulling away and carefully testing her weight before immediately favoring one leg.

"No problem!" Ash replied with the same cheerful grin he used for almost everything.

I slowed as I approached, my attention lingering on the girl longer than I intended. She looked vaguely familiar, though I couldn't immediately place why. Maybe it was the honey-blonde hair spilling from beneath the enormous straw sunhat, or the dirt staining one side of her clothes. Then my eyes dropped toward her knee and the white handkerchief wrapped around it.

Something about the entire scene scratched at the back of my mind.

The girl finally noticed me staring and blinked. Her eyes moved from my face to Ash's, then back to mine again. The comparison continued for several seconds before confusion won out.

"Twins?"

Ash immediately puffed up. "We're not brothers!"

I sighed. "Apparently, this is still a sensitive subject."

"We don't even look that much alike!"

The girl stared at him.

Hell, I stared at him.

Ash lasted perhaps two seconds beneath the combined scrutiny before his shoulders slumped. "Okay, fine. We look a lot alike, but we're still not brothers!"

That earned a small giggle from the girl, though it quickly turned into a wince when she shifted her injured leg. Whatever amusement I'd felt faded as movement sounded behind us, and Goh came pushing through the brush, Chloe and Yamper close behind. Amber arrived only a moment later, looking considerably less winded than the rest of us.

"What happened?" Chloe asked as her attention immediately shifted to the injured girl.

"Poliwag found her," Ash explained. "She hurt her knee, so I helped patch her up!"

Amber stepped closer and crouched beside the girl. "Mind if I take a look?"

The girl shook her head and carefully settled onto a nearby fallen log with Ash's help. Amber loosened the handkerchief enough to inspect the scrape beneath it before checking the rest of the leg. "Can you move your ankle for me?"

She did, cautiously at first.

"Any pain?"

Another shake of the head.

"Good. Looks like you scraped yourself up more than anything serious." Amber fully removed the handkerchief before reaching for the first-aid pouch at her belt. "We'll clean it properly before you do any more walking."

Ash crouched nearby while Amber worked, Poliwag bouncing restlessly beside him. "See? Told you you'd be okay."

The girl smiled at him.

And suddenly that nagging familiarity came back much harder.

Professor Oak's camp. A blonde girl lost in the woods. An injured knee. Ash finding her and wrapping a handkerchief around it…

…oh.

Oh.

Amber, unaware that my brain had finally started connecting several very old dots, glanced up from the scrape. "Did you get separated from your group?"

The girl nodded. "I got lost."

Amber gave her an easy smile. "That's alright. We'll help you get back once we've got your knee cleaned up. What's your name?"

"Serena."

The last piece clicked into place so cleanly that I almost wanted to laugh.

I looked from Serena to Ash, who was still crouched beside her without the slightest clue of her almost bashful looks. Poliwag bounced happily between them while Serena thanked Amber for helping with her knee, then Ash for taking care of her, and I could only drag one hand slowly down my face.

What was with this camp pulling Ash's future companions in early?!

---

Author's Note:

Oh, you all thought it was just the Journey's companions? Oh no, I'm making use of all the childhood tropes, and the childhood sweetheart is a must!

More seriously, hope y'all enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see ya next time~

Hope it's not too presumptuous, but I've got a Patreon up and running! If you want to read 5 chapters ahead or just support me in general, feel free to visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / IcurasFallen

 

[Azzy Rael]

Amourshipping ain't bad, but I always felt Dawn or May seemed to have better chemistry with Ash. Serena met him once for a few weeks and while the future does seem to be something ten year old girls look at, all the ones I knew thought (rightly) that boys were gross. Hopefully the time pacing for the insert isn't 'eleven with 25 years experience'.
And for anyone who preaches Misty supremacy, that wouldn't go further than a bromance considering how violent and stubborn they were towards each other.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Yeah that tracks, which Serena isn't a full on Hinata Ash Ketchum fanatic she's definitely has a one sided attraction towards Ash Ketchum during the Summer Camp before Ash Ketchum became the legendary champion he is . As Dawn and May had great general chemistry with Ash Ketchum in the latter seasons.
Boys drool ,girls rule , which apparently girls are never wrong but young boys aren't during summer camp is explainable.
Continue on
Cheers!

 

[SpaceWhale]

The ash charm is coming online. Let's see if Travis inherited some of that

 

[IcurasFallen]

Pokémon Version Orange

Arc 2 - The Summer


Chapter 15
​

---

Professor Oak was angry.

That was a considerably more terrifying sentence than most people would probably expect.

He didn't scream. He didn't rage. He didn't even raise his voice at the counselor who had somehow failed to notice that one of the children under his supervision had been missing for over an hour.

Instead, Professor Oak simply stared at the young man.

I'd only seen a look like that directed at me once before, when I'd made the terrible mistake of getting on the genuinely angry side of Aunt Rebecca's Salamence. The situations were obviously very different, but the sheer pressure behind the expression was disturbingly similar. It was the kind of look that made your stomach drop into your feet and cold sweat bead across your skin.

The fact that Professor Oak's Alakazam was standing beside him didn't help either.

I'd only needed one proper look at the Psychic-type to realize something I hadn't really expected, yet probably should have.

He was stronger than Mom's Alakazam. Much, much stronger.

And that was saying something, considering I had once seen Al lift an entire building with his mind.

(But we didn't talk about the Running of the Tauros reenactment. We had sworn a pact, so I tried to avoid thinking of that entire disaster even in the depths of my own mind.)

Still, Professor Oak was a retired Master, so I really shouldn't have been surprised that one of his personal Pokémon set off all the same warning bells in my mind that, until now, only Kahili's team had ever managed, especially when Alakazam somehow made those instincts scream louder.

Alakazam hadn't threatened the counselor either, obviously. He'd simply stood beside his Trainer with his spoons held loosely at his sides and stared at the man with an expression of such complete disappointment that I almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

The counselor's group had stumbled back into the main pasture in a legitimate panic after finally realizing Serena was missing, only to discover that we'd already brought her back. From there, Professor Oak had taken over, Amber had been called aside to explain exactly how we'd found her, and the rest of us had been politely encouraged to give the adults some space.

I never did find out exactly what happened to the counselor afterward, but going by how Amber returned twenty minutes later, looking several shades paler than when she'd left, and refused to answer any questions even when Ash and Goh teamed up to pester her, I decided this was one mystery I didn't want to know the answer to.

How the entire disaster resulted in Serena being transferred into the Pikachu Group, I still couldn't wrap my head around. I did, however, have my suspicions about how, within less than an hour, she'd already attached herself to our growing collection of misfits like she'd been there from the beginning.

Namely, I blamed Ash and his stupid levels of protagonist charisma.

Well, okay, that and the fact that the one time someone pointed out she was leaving behind whatever friends she'd made in the Bulbasaur Group, Serena's expression had crumpled enough for tears to start gathering at the corners of her eyes.

The look of sheer disappointment Chloe gave me was much more effective than it had any right to be coming from a nine-year-old.

Thankfully, Serena seemed to recover quickly enough once Chloe assured her that we could be her friends. Ash naturally helped by immediately declaring that she could hang out with us whenever she wanted, and from there the entire matter had apparently been settled without anyone bothering to ask whether the rest of us got a vote.

Not that I particularly minded, especially since, despite our little detour through the woods, Team Amber had actually done pretty damn well. We weren't the first team to finish the Orienteering course, unfortunately, but third place out of nearly twenty teams was nothing to complain about.

Professor Oak had apparently agreed.

"Team Amber will also be receiving additional points for assisting a fellow camper in distress," he announced from the porch, drawing another round of applause from the campers scattered across the lawn at the end of the event. "While completing the course quickly was certainly important, recognizing when someone needs help and prioritizing their safety is exactly the kind of judgment we hope to encourage here."

Serena immediately turned pink, then solid red when Ash excitedly spoke up.

"Serena, you got us bonus points!"

"W-Wait, Ash!"

He grabbed her around the middle before she could retreat and spun her in a laughing circle, earning a startled squeak that quickly dissolved into giggling as Poliwag bounced excitedly around their feet.

I watched them for a moment before shaking my head.

Protagonist charisma was absolutely ridiculous.

Still, between our third-place finish and the bonus points, I'd been feeling fairly confident about the Pikachu Group's chances.

That confidence lasted right up until Professor Oak reminded everyone of one tiny detail several people had apparently forgotten.

This was a team competition.

Not Team Amber versus everyone else. Not Ash, Chloe, Goh, and me carrying the yellow banner to glorious victory through sheer competence and protagonist-induced nonsense.

No, every team wearing yellow contributed toward our final placement, just as every Eevee, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander team contributed toward theirs.

Which became increasingly relevant when the rest of the teams started coming back.

One Pikachu team finished somewhere around the middle of the pack. Another arrived several places later, looking tired but reasonably proud of themselves.

Then we waited. And waited. And waited some more.

And I could only stare as the final three teams to complete the entire course all wandered onto the lawn wearing Pikachu faces around their necks.

One group looked like they'd fought a war against shrubbery and lost. Another had apparently taken a wrong turn badly enough that one camper was still holding a map upside down while arguing with his counselor. The final team crossed the finish line to polite applause and immediately collapsed into the grass. Why they were wet was anyone's guess.

I swear I could feel my eyebrow twitch.

Chloe covered her face with both hands. Goh stared at the newly arrived teams in open disbelief, muttering a genuinely confused, "How?!" under his breath, while Ash looked between them and Professor Oak with growing horror.

Professor Oak waited until the final checkpoint card had been verified before one of his assistants handed him the completed results. He looked them over, smiled, and stepped back toward the front of the porch.

"Excellent work, everyone! Now that all twenty teams have returned, we can announce the final standings!"

The crowd immediately quieted.

I crossed my arms and tried not to look toward the Eevee Group.

And no, it had nothing to do with how Gary was staring directly at us, hands laced behind his head while Rattata sat proudly beside his shoes. Judging by his expression, he'd apparently already figured out where this was going.

I felt another tick start near my temple.

Professor Oak continued, blissfully unaware that I was genuinely considering punching the smug off his grandson's face.

"In fifth place overall, the Charmander Group!"

A collective groan rose from the red-lanyarded campers, though it wasn't entirely miserable. A few still clapped for themselves while others exchanged tired shrugs, clearly deciding that simply finishing the course without getting lost for several hours counted as a victory of its own.

"In fourth place, the Squirtle Group!"

The blue section reacted with considerably more energy, several campers cheering while one particularly enthusiastic boy immediately started arguing that fourth place was "basically almost third."

I respected the optimism.

Professor Oak glanced down at the results sheet again.

"In third place, the Pikachu Group!"

The reaction around me was considerably less enthusiastic.

A wave of groans and muttered complaints rolled through the yellow-lanyarded campers, several heads immediately turning toward the three teams that had limped in at the very end. More than a few sets of eyes settled pointedly on the group that was still inexplicably soaking wet.

I shook my head.

Beside me, Goh slowly turned toward them with an expression that suggested he was genuinely trying to solve the mystery of how they had managed it. Ash was doing much the same, except his look was considerably more childishly judgmental.

I reached out and physically turned both of their heads forward.

"Stop staring."

"But how did they even get wet?" Goh whispered.

"Don't care, stop staring."

The Bulbasaur Group took second place, earning a much louder round of cheers from the green-lanyarded campers. A few looked disappointed to have missed first, but most seemed perfectly happy with the result.

Which left only one group.

Professor Oak smiled and turned toward the excited brown-lanyarded campers.

"And today's winning group, with the highest combined score overall, is the Eevee Group!"

The Eevee campers exploded into cheers.

Gary's grin somehow got worse.

He didn't even need to say anything. He simply turned toward us, lifted his chin, and let the silence do all the gloating for him.

I took a slow breath through my nose.

Beside me, Chloe quietly caught Ash by the back of his shirt before he could start moving toward Gary. I considered congratulating her on the foresight.

Then Gary's eyes shifted toward me, and his grin widened.

My eyebrow twitched just as Amber's hand landed on my shoulder.

"I wasn't going to do anything," I muttered, giving the limb a side-eye.

"Uh-huh."

I stared at her. She stared back.

Across the lawn, Gary finally raised one hand and gave us a slow, smug little wave.

…okay, maybe I had been planning something.

---

"Do you want another s'more?" Chloe asked, holding out the plate toward Serena.

Serena looked down at the one she'd only just finished before hesitantly glancing toward the remaining stack. "Um...maybe one more?"

"Good choice!" Ash immediately reached across her, only for Chloe to slap his hand away.

"Ow!"

"You've already had four!"

"But there are more!"

"And those aren't yours!"

Serena had once more turned into a blushing mess as Ash seemed to contemplate Chloe's retort while sprawled across her lap. He apparently considered that more of an obstacle than an answer, because he immediately made another grab with both hands—

"Wah?!"

Only to then yelp as I caught the back of his shirt and pulled him away before he could complete the maneuver.

"Traitor!" he accused, twisting around to glare at me.

I shook my head. "You already ate mine, wasn't that enough?"

"You said you didn't want it!"

"I said I wasn't hungry."

"That's basically the same thing!"

I gave him a lidded stare.

Serena covered her mouth as a giggle slipped out, while Chloe successfully passed the rescued s'more into her hands. Ash continued staring at it with a pout until Poliwag bounced into his lap and finally distracted him.

By the time we got back to the Pikachu Group campsite, dinner had come and gone, and the last of the day's light had disappeared behind the trees. Most of the camp had settled into that comfortable stretch between evening activities and bedtime where nobody had quite enough energy left to cause another major disaster.

Most being the important word.

Our own little collection of troublemakers had gravitated back toward the same corner of the campsite we'd somehow claimed over the last few days. A pair of logs sat beside the smaller firepit we'd set up ourselves, close enough to be present without having to join the larger crowd, and between the blankets, discarded bags, and several Pokémon sprawled comfortably nearby, we'd apparently established the territory as our own.

Even Pichu was done for the evening; the little fuzzball was stretched bonelessly across my lap with absolutely no intention of moving again tonight. His exercises had gone well enough that I'd cut the session short, partly because he'd already spent several hours running around Professor Oak's property and partly because I wasn't interested in training him into the ground.

Naturally, that meant rewards.

His ears perked the second I opened a small Berry container beside me. "Pi?"

My lip quirked up. "Yes, you did amazing today, so you've earned a treat."

The smell alone seemed enough to revive him as I dropped several Petaya Berries into the little dish resting beside my leg. They were rare, expensive, and had somehow become Pichu's favorite thing on the planet after eating one by complete accident.

Thankfully, I had money to waste on stupidly expensive fruit, and my Pokémon deserved nice things.

Pichu apparently agreed, because within seconds his face had disappeared into the bowl.

A long sigh sounded behind us before Goh dropped onto the empty stretch of log beside Chloe with enough force to make Yamper lift his head. "Finally! That took forever to move."

Chloe looked over. "You got everything?"

"My sleeping bag, clothes, Caterpie's stuff, everything." Goh slumped forward with his elbows against his knees, and inadvertently revealed Caterpie comically sticking to his back. "Your tent is way farther away than mine was."

"Our tent," Ash corrected.

Goh gave him a tired look. "That's what I said."

"No, you said your tent."

"I meant our tent."

"But you didn't say our tent."

"Does it matter?!"

"Boys," Chloe warned, and both immediately stopped.

Serena shifted beside her, fingers tightening slightly around the edge of her blanket. "I'm sorry you had to move everything because of me."

That killed the argument considerably faster.

"You don't have to apologize," Chloe assured her before turning toward the three of us. There was something disturbingly effective about Chloe Cerise's stare when she decided she wanted a particular answer. "It's fine. Right?"

Ash paled and nodded immediately. "Y-Yep!"

Goh's head bobbed like a toy. "Right! Totally fine!"

Seeing her turn to me, I just chuckled at the attempt. "It really isn't a problem. Have you seen the things Professor Oak gave us? We could probably fit another two people in ours before we'd start noticing someone else was sleeping nearby."

Goh frowned. "Is that how you're measuring space?"

"Personal space is sacred."

"Ignore him," Chloe said.

"I feel like I should be offended."

She gave me a lidded look. "You'll survive."

Serena giggled again, shoulders finally losing some of their tension. Mission accomplished.

The rearrangement hadn't exactly been complicated anyway. Serena joining the Pikachu Group meant she needed somewhere to sleep, and apparently Professor Oak's staff had decided pairing her with Chloe was the easiest solution. That displaced Goh, who had previously been sharing Chloe's tent, which in turn meant our already oversized tent had gained a third occupant.

"Glad to hear it!"

A hand abruptly landed atop Serena's hat, causing her to squeak and duck forward.

Amber stood behind the log with an enormous grin, one hand ruffling Serena's hair straight through the straw hat while the other balanced several steaming mugs on a tray. Serena immediately escaped and fixed her hat with an offended little pout.

Amber laughed as she began distributing mugs between us, and the smell of chocolate immediately drew everyone's attention. "Sorry, kiddo. Couldn't resist."

Ash's eyes widened. "Hot chocolate?!"

"Hot chocolate," Amber confirmed. "A special reward for our brave heroes after their daring rescue operation!"

Her voice deepened dramatically toward the end, one hand pressing against her chest like she was narrating the climax of an action movie. Ash immediately puffed himself up while Serena and Chloe burst into giggles. Goh rolled his eyes, though the smile tugging at his mouth ruined the effect.

I accepted my mug. "Heroic might be stretching it."

Amber gasped. "Travis! Don't diminish your heroic accomplishments!"

"I chased Ash into a bush."

"And emerged with a missing child!"

"Technically, Ash did that."

She waved. "Details."

Amber lifted her mug with all the dignity of someone making an official proclamation. "To Team Amber!"

Ash immediately raised his own. "Team Amber!"

Chloe laughed but joined in, followed by Goh and Serena, and I shook my head before lifting mine as well.

We all took sips of the thankfully not burning-hot drink. I even lowered the mug to allow Pichu a sip…and then tilted my head at my partner as I remembered the day's events.

"Actually, I'd like to make another toast."

The others turned to me, confused as I once more raised the mug and smiled down at Pichu's curious look.

"To Pichu, our own little Sherlock, as we'd probably still be wandering around looking for the first checkpoint without him."

Pichu perked up and puffed his little chest. "Pi!"

Ash laughed and lifted his mug again. "To Pichu!"

"To Pichu," Chloe agreed, with Goh following. Serena hesitated for only a moment before smiling brightly and raising hers as well.

"To Pichu!"

Even Amber joined in, and Pichu puffed his chest out so far that I briefly wondered whether he was going to fall backward.

Then Goh frowned as he lowered his mug. "Wait, what's a Sherlock?"

I paused halfway through taking a drink.

Oh, right. Sherlock Holmes didn't exist here.

Tragic, really, but hardly worth dwelling on.

"A detective," I answered easily.

Goh immediately perked up. "What kind of detective?"

"A really famous one." I chuckled before taking a sip of my hot chocolate and continuing. "Sherlock Holmes was the quintessential detective. He solved murders, thefts, disappearances, all kinds of crimes. The whole point was that he could notice tiny details everyone else missed and figure out what actually happened."

Chloe tilted her head curiously. "I've never heard of him."

"Neither have I," Serena added.

Goh nodded. "Me either."

I chuckled. "Yeah, you probably wouldn't have. Sherlock Holmes was a fictional detective from a series of stories I read a long time ago."

"Ohhhh."

Ash, on the other hand, pouted. "You made it sound like he was a real guy!"

"I said he was famous. Fictional people can be famous."

Goh ignored that distinction completely. "How good was he?"

"Ridiculously good." I shifted slightly as Pichu abandoned his empty Berry bowl and crawled back onto my lap. "He was the kind of detective who could shake someone's hand, look at their clothes for a few seconds, and start telling them where they'd been, what kind of job they had, whether they were married, and probably what they'd eaten for breakfast."

Ash's eyes widened. "No way!"

"Yes way."

"How?!"

I gave him a cheeky grin. "Why, elementary, my dear Ketchum."

"That doesn't explain anything!"

I could only laugh. I'd never thought I'd get to use that line, especially in this context!

Then I noticed how Goh was squinting thoughtfully at my clothes, which immediately earned him a pointed look. "Don't."

He blinked innocently. "I wasn't doing anything."

"You were trying to 'deduce me.'" I made a point of adding air quotes.

"I was not!"

Chloe snorted into her mug while I leaned back slightly, letting the warmth from the fire settle against my face.

For the next few minutes, conversation drifted elsewhere. Ash immediately started arguing that he could probably be a detective, which Goh disputed on the perfectly reasonable grounds that Ash had spent ten minutes that morning looking for a sock he was already wearing.

I was perfectly content to let them fight that one out until something lightly tugged at my sleeve.

Serena had shifted slightly closer, still holding her hot chocolate between both hands. "Um...Travis?"

"Yeah?"

She hesitated, eyes briefly darting toward the others before returning to me. "Could you tell us one?"

I blinked. "One what?"

"One of the Sherlock stories."

The argument beside us quieted, and I looked over to find everyone was staring at me. Even Amber looked interested from where she had been treating the others' bickering as entertainment.

I had to stifle a sigh.

It had been a long day, and I was tired, dammit. The last thing I wanted was to deal with the inevitable endless questions that would come from trying to edit a Sherlock Holmes story on the fly.

Then something shifted against my stomach, and I looked down to find Pichu staring up at me. His ears were perked up, and even he looked invested in the request.

"You too?"

"Pi." A nod.

Of course.

I looked around again. Serena was still waiting hopefully, Ash had somehow managed to remain still for longer than ten consecutive seconds, Goh was practically leaning forward, and Chloe had settled more comfortably against the log like she already knew how this was going to end.

I couldn't quite keep the smile from pulling at my mouth. "Alright, gather round then." I leaned forward and gave them all a sharp grin. They all perked up and leaned forward in anticipation.

"Tell me, have any of you ever heard of the Hound of the Baskervilles?"

---

I woke up.

Under normal circumstances, that wouldn't have been particularly noteworthy. The problem was that, even before opening my eyes, I knew it wasn't anywhere close to morning.

I cracked one eye open and confirmed what I'd already suspected. The tent was almost completely dark, with only the faintest amount of moonlight slipping through the upper mesh, and judging by how black the sky looked outside, I doubted it was much later than midnight.

For several seconds, I remained exactly where I was and tried to figure out what had woken me without actually getting up. Pichu clearly wasn't responsible. The little gremlin was curled against the side of my neck with his face buried somewhere beneath my hair, occasionally twitching an ear in his sleep. I could already tell whatever remained of my dignity in the morning was going to lose a vicious battle against the static-induced bed head he'd given me.

Beyond that, though, something felt wrong, and it took my half-asleep brain several seconds to realize what.

The tent was too quiet.

I frowned and shifted my head enough to look across the oversized interior. Three sleeping bags had been spread across the floor when we'd gone to bed. Mine was obviously occupied, but the other two were not.

Ash's sleeping bag was twisted open, his blanket mostly kicked toward the foot of it, but there was no Ash. Goh's sleeping bag was considerably neater, but just as empty, and a quick glance toward the entrance confirmed that both pairs of shoes were gone as well.

Wonderful.

Rubbing my eyes, I slowly pushed myself upright before carefully peeling Pichu away from my neck and getting to my feet. The movement earned me an irritated little noise as his face scrunched up, but that was apparently the full extent of his protest. Rather than properly waking, he rolled onto his back in my arms, tucked his paws against his chest, and immediately settled again.

I stared down at him. "Glad one of us is taking this seriously."

"Piiiii..."

His eyes never opened.

"Yeah, that's about what I expected."

Holding him against my chest with one arm, I stepped carefully around the abandoned sleeping bags and made my way toward the entrance. The tent flap gave a soft rustle as I pulled it aside and poked my head outside, revealing a campsite that was almost completely still.

Most of the fires had burned down to glowing embers, while rows of tents stretched across the dark field beneath the moonlight. Somewhere farther away, I could barely make out the silhouette of one of the counselors making their rounds.

I was beginning to wonder whether Ash and Goh had simply gone to the bathroom when a beam of light moved near the edge of the trees beside the tent.

My eyes narrowed.

The flashlight swept across the ground before disappearing behind a trunk, only to reappear several seconds later. Two figures moved with it, both making an admirable but ultimately pointless effort to stay quiet as they tried to navigate the forest with a single flashlight and optimism.

I could only watch with lidded eyes as the two of them slipped beneath the trees and disappeared into the darkness.

There were rules about this kind of thing. Quite a few rules, actually, and most had been repeated enough times over the last several days that even Ash probably knew them by heart. Goh certainly did. Whatever the two of them were doing, they therefore knew perfectly well that sneaking into the woods in the middle of the night was against just about every camp rule concerning curfew, buddy systems, and not making your counselors develop premature gray hair.

On the other hand...

I was tired. Really tired.

After a day chock-full of exploration, mind-numbing puzzles, smug elementary schoolers, and an impromptu turn as storyteller, I was rather tempted to just go back to bed.

(And while, admittedly, replacing the titular hound with a Houndoom and having the story's villain pretend to be afraid of Pokémon to avoid suspicion had been a rather clever bit of editing on my part, improvising to avoid the inevitable questions had been exhausting.)

I could just close the tent, put Pichu back down, crawl into my sleeping bag, and let one of the actual adults deal with whatever breathtakingly stupid idea had convinced those two to sneak into the forest after midnight.

That sounded like an excellent plan, possibly the best one I'd had all week.

I had already started lowering the tent flap when another beam of light swept across the field.

I stopped and slowly looked back outside.

The second flashlight was coming from farther down the campsite, its beam jerking across the grass as another pair of figures hurried after the first two. They were moving more carefully than Ash and Goh had, but one of them possessed a particular feature that made stealth considerably more difficult.

Namely, an enormous sun hat.

I stared at it.

The hat bobbed as someone who could only be Serena hurried toward the trees, one hand holding it against her head. The second figure carried the flashlight beside her, while a small canine shape trotted several steps ahead as if leading them.

Yep, that was Yamper. Which meant Chloe.

Apparently every single member of our little collection of misfits had decided tonight was the perfect opportunity to violate curfew and wander into the woods.

Without me.

I slowly closed my eyes and mourned the peaceful night's sleep I had almost managed to have.

---

Goh POV

I knew I was breaking the rules.

That wasn't really up for debate. Professor Oak had been very clear about curfew, staying inside the campsite after lights-out, and definitely not wandering into the woods without a counselor. The rules had been repeated enough times over the last few days that I could probably recite most of them from memory if someone asked.

But I had to do this. Not every night, and not even for very long. I just needed one chance to look around before camp ended.

I needed to look for Mew.

That had been the plan from the beginning. When Chloe first told me we were coming back to Professor Oak's summer camp, I'd promised myself I was going to be good about it. I wasn't going to wander off again, and I definitely wasn't going to get us separated from everyone like last time. I'd just use some of our free time to look around the parts of Professor Oak's property I vaguely remembered from years ago.

Professor Oak's property was huge, but I remembered roughly where Chloe and I had been when we'd seen Mew before. Not exactly, because that had been years ago and I'd only been six, but enough that I could narrow things down. After that, all I needed to do was pay attention.

Mew could Transform, after all. Looking for Mew itself wasn't necessarily the best way to find it. What I really needed was something that didn't fit. A Pokémon behaving differently than its species normally would. Something appearing somewhere it shouldn't. Maybe an Oddish that didn't react properly to sunlight, a Pidgey that flew strangely, or even a Pokémon that knew a Move its species normally couldn't use.

There were hundreds of possibilities. I just needed time to actually look.

That was where everything had gone wrong.

Somehow, I'd gotten dragged into spending practically all of my free time with everyone else. It wasn't that I disliked them. They were...fine.

(Better than fine, but that wasn't the point!)

Every time I thought I finally had a few minutes to myself, somebody wanted something. Ash wanted to argue about some Pokémon fact he'd gotten wrong. Chloe wanted to prove I was the one who'd gotten it wrong. Travis somehow turned half of those arguments into debates that lasted twenty minutes, and Serena had started listening to all of us like anything we said was actually important.

Then there was Caterpie. Apparently having a temporary partner meant I needed to keep track of when he ate, make sure he wasn't getting tired, clean him up whenever he crawled through something disgusting, and check that he was comfortable before I went to sleep.

(Which wasn't actually that difficult. Caterpie barely caused any trouble. And he was pretty cute in a buggy way.)

That wasn't the point either! The point was that all of it took time, and that was time I had planned to spend looking for Mew!

And now even my plan to sneak out after everyone went to sleep was ruined because of—

"So what's the rare Pokémon we're looking for again?"

I nearly tripped. "Keep your voice down!"

Ash blinked at me in the flashlight's glow before his expression shifted into a pout. "I wasn't that loud."

"You're in the middle of a forest after midnight!"

"So?"

"So people are trying to sleep!"

"We're pretty far from the tents."

"I'm talking about Pokemon, you idiot!" I had to resist shouting. Especially as Ash's pout deepened, and I immediately felt a small twist in my stomach that I shoved away.

I wasn't going to feel guilty because I'd snapped at my frie—at Ash.

Besides, he wasn't even supposed to be here.

I tightened my grip on the flashlight and stepped around a root jutting from the ground. "You should go back."

Ash's pout vanished. "No."

"Yes."

"No."

"You don't even know what we're looking for!"

"That's why I asked!"

"That doesn't mean you should be here!"

Ash scowled. "You're here."

"Because I'm looking for something!"

"So am I!"

"You don't even know what it is!"

"Because you won't tell me!"

I clenched my teeth. He had a point, and I hated when he had a point.

"Mew," I finally hissed.

Ash blinked. "Mew?"

"Yes, Mew."

His face scrunched up. "What's a Mew?"

My mouth dropped open. The sheer idea that he didn't know about one of the rarest Pokémon in the world was absurd!

"Mew is—!"

"The thing that's going to get you both in trouble!"

I jumped badly enough that the flashlight jerked toward the trees, and Ash spun around beside me.

Chloe stood several yards behind us with her arms folded, the light from another flashlight illuminating the deeply unimpressed expression on her face. Yamper stood beside her looking very proud of himself, while Serena hovered just behind Chloe with one hand holding that enormous hat of hers in place.

I stared at them for several seconds before my eyes dropped toward Yamper. "How did you even know to find us?"

"Yamper heard you arguing from all the way on the other side of camp."

Dammit, I hated how that made sense.

Yamper gave a cheerful little bark while Chloe's eyes narrowed. "Were you seriously going to sneak through the forest all night looking for Mew?"

"No."

Her expression somehow became even flatter.

I shifted my grip on the flashlight. "Not all night."

"Goh!"

"I'm just looking!"

"You snuck out of camp at night; the sheer number of rules you're breaking is—!"

"I was going to come back!"

"You're going to get all of us in trouble because you're obsessed with Mew!"

"I am not obsessed!"

Chloe just stared at me. Even Serena looked uncertain, while Ash scratched his cheek and suddenly seemed very interested in not taking sides.

I felt personally betrayed by everyone present.

It wasn't an obsession. Having a goal wasn't the same thing as being obsessed with it. I wasn't spending every second thinking about Mew or planning my entire life around finding it.

I just wanted to find the rarest Pokémon I'd ever seen, make it my first real partner someday, and had spent the last three years researching everything I could about it while waiting for the first chance to return to the place I'd seen it.

That was completely different!

Besides, I wouldn't have even come out here tonight if Travis hadn't given me the idea.

That thought made something uncomfortable settle in my stomach, and I frowned as I turned and focused on the path ahead.

It wasn't that I disliked Travis. Actually, that might have been part of the problem.

It's just…he was our age, yet somehow he was already taking college classes. He had a Starter. He'd traveled all over the world going by his stories, knew more about battling than half the adults I'd met, and had apparently been allowed to run an actual Gym when his mom wasn't available!

He was a Gym Leader. He was my age and a Gym Leader! Who did that?!

Apparently, Travis did.

And, okay, maybe I'd been a little jealous when I'd learned all of that. Only a little; anyone would have been! It wasn't fair to call that jealousy when Travis had somehow managed to fit more accomplishments into nine years than most people managed before they were adults.

Then he'd told us the story about Sherlock Holmes.

A detective who could look at tiny pieces of evidence everyone else ignored and figure out answers nobody else could see. Someone who, in the story Travis had told us, had even let his friend Watson go ahead while he secretly investigated things on his own.

He hadn't needed everyone else following him around. He'd gone looking for the answer himself, and he'd found it.

Maybe following the lead of a fictional detective wasn't the best reason to break curfew, but it had made sense when I was lying awake thinking about Mew.

"You're doing it again."

I blinked and looked at Chloe. "Doing what?"

"That thing where you stop listening because you've decided you're right."

"I am listening!"

"Then turn around."

"But we're already so close!"

Chloe threw both hands into the air. "Close to what?"

"To where we saw Mew!"

Her face scrunched up. "That was years ago!"

"I remember it!"

"It was daytime!"

I twitched at the reminder. "So?!"

"So it's dark, Goh! How could you possibly know this is the same place?!"

"Because I recognize it!"

Chloe swept her flashlight across the trees surrounding us. "You recognize this exact part of the forest?!"

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. The trees looked…vaguely familiar. That counted!

My jaw clenched. "I know I'm right."

Chloe made a strangled noise. "That isn't evidence!"

"It doesn't have to be!"

"Yes, it does!"

"You weren't complaining when we followed Mew last time!"

"I was six!"

"So was I!"

"And that makes it worse!"

I looked away with a scowl. I was just so close—! "Just a little farther."

Chloe rubbed her face. "Gooooh, we're already going to be in so much trouble."

I turned to her with a glare and ignored how hot my ears felt. "I didn't make you follow me!"

"Because letting you get eaten was the better option?!"

"I'm not going to get eaten!" I wasn't an idiot!

"You don't know that!"

"Yes, I do!"

"No, you don't!"

"Yes, I do!"

Something suddenly grabbed my arm, and I whirled around before Ash could say anything.

"What?!"

Ash immediately let go, ignored how I basically yelled in his face, and pointed past me. "Don't those mean something?"

I blinked, completely thrown out of the argument.

Turning, I followed his finger and spotted the trunk of a tree just outside the strongest part of our flashlight beams. I stared at the three deep scratches carved through the bark for several seconds before a memory from earlier that day came to the fore.

My stomach dropped.

I stepped closer and raised the flashlight. The marks weren't random. They were deep enough that chunks of bark had been torn completely free, leaving gouges in the wood underneath, and they started almost as high as my head before dragging downward in three uneven lines.

Slowly, I moved the light toward the next tree and found more scratches.

I swung the beam farther, catching another trunk with a chunk of bark completely stripped away. The tree beside it had similar gouges, along with a depression in the earth near its roots that I hadn't noticed when we'd walked past.

My mouth went very dry.

"Goh?" Serena asked quietly.

I turned around and aimed the flashlight back toward the path we'd taken. The beam shook slightly in my hand as more marks emerged from the darkness.

Now that I knew what I was looking for, they were everywhere.

Scratches. Broken branches. Scuffed earth. One set of marks farther back ran across a tree trunk at almost double my size.

Some of them were nearly as big as we were.

Chloe sucked in a breath as she seemed to realize as well.

Ash tilted his head. "So they are territory markings?"

I swallowed dryly. "Y-Yeah."

Slowly, I reached over to grab Ash. Chloe was doing much the same to the clearly nervous Serena. "We need to leave. Right now."

A low sound rolled through the forest.

Every muscle in my body locked up.

The growl came again, deeper and louder this time, vibrating through the trees strongly enough that I felt it more than heard it. Nobody moved as my flashlight slowly shifted toward the source.

Two red eyes opened in the darkness.

Someone sucked in a breath as something enormous moved between the trees.

The beam caught a pair of thick purple legs first as they stomped heavily against the forest floor. I slowly tilted the flashlight upward, revealing a broadly armored and heavily spiked torso, massive clawed hands, and shoulders that seemed impossibly wide from where I stood. Then the light reached its face.

A heavy snout pulled back from a mouth full of fangs, while a long horn jutted from its forehead between a pair of furious red eyes.

My blood went cold.

The Nidoking raised its head and roared.

---

Author's Note:

Don't ya just love cliffhangers?!

More seriously, hope y'all enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to next time where we see whether a bunch of kiddos are about to be eaten! My bet is on a certain someone deciding to make use of another certain someone~

Hope it's not too presumptuous, but I've got a Patreon up and running! If you want to read 5 chapters ahead or just support me in general, feel free to visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / IcurasFallen

 

[Sunwukong1111]

Palossand and travis going to come in swinging

 

[Lillie Jones]

Absolute Cinema
10/10
The Journey continues
Cheers!

 

[Azzy Rael]

RIP Serena's OG counselor. Your dumb ass will be a cautionary tale for the future

 

[SpaceWhale]

Just remembered why I don't like Goh

 

[Aura_Guardian]

Just remembered why I don't like Goh

Click to shrink...

Same, even for a kid this is a level of delusion that is stupid. I can admit that the anime hasn't helped with his portrayal but no part of me is enjoying reading about him

Has Palossand even left the Pokéball at all this whole time? Seems kinda mean to keep it contained and only let it out when you need its help.

Looking forward to more of Travis being the team mom, reading from the perspective of what are supposed to be normal kids is boring

Thanks for the chapter