Reverse- Chapter 2: Golden Wings.

A/N: Hey there, guys and gals! Your boy here with another chapter of…Reverse!

Med School's been hellish, as usual- so it's not like I've had much free time to write anything more than a few topics until last week. I know some of you were pretty hyped for Chapter 2, but it was really impossible to write 25 pages while having five tests to study for. I'm sorry.

Anyways, thank you all guys for the reviews on last chapter- I'm really happy to see you guys like this story, and it greatly motivates me to keep on writing in the near future. Luckily for you guys, Summer Break's almost on the corner for me- so I'll be updating much more frequently AFTER December.

That's all I had to say for now, I guess.

Alcoholic Pikachu.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, nor any of the characters used in this fanfic.

Reverse- Chapter 2: Golden Wings.

Viridian Forest

'This is torture…' Lying on his open sleeping bag, Ash Ketchum silently stares at the roof of his yellow tent in pure boredom as torrential rain ceaselessly pours down from the skies.

Whispering a silent curse to the Summer monsoons, Ash lets out a long sigh before returning his attention to his Pokédex- Dexter- where he reads a long, detailed article about the hot, dark maze that was Viridian Forest and its complex environment.

Crossed from north to south by the tortuous road known as Route 2, Viridian Forest is a deep, sprawling woodland well-known for being a giant labyrinth where the trees are so dense, only a tiny bit of light can pass through. In such a dark, hot and wet environment, a myriad of Bug type species prospered, including the rarer and more powerful ones such as Pinsir and Venomoth.

Such a large population of Bug types also attracted lots of predators to the region, meaning Pidgeotto and Fearow could be easily found there as well.

There was also an alert for Pikachu, who usually lived in large, nomadic groups at the lighter and airier parts of the forest.

'I wonder if…' For a few seconds, Ash considers catching one of the Electric mice himself- though they couldn't exactly be called strong, Pikachu were unbelievably fast for such a chubby, cute-looking Pokémon. 'No, I guess not.'

As one of Professor Oak's aides, Ash had worked with both Pikachu and their baby form, Pichu. They differed from other Pokémon due to their strong sense of individuality, despite living in communities. Each Pikachu was expected to have a very unique personality, making their line one of the most unpredictable in the entire region. "Heck, I can still remember that prankster Pikachu…"

No, he wouldn't be trying to catch a Pikachu. Not only wasn't he able to predict one's behavior at all, but a Pikachu would be practically helpless in Ash's coming battle against Brock- who mostly used Rock/Ground hybrids like Onix and Geodude. Electricity would be useless against those Pokémon, and Normal type attacks wouldn't even scratch their tough armors.

'Then again, the alternative is a Pinsir…' This, sincerely, didn't feel like a good idea to begin with. Pinsir were too wild and tended to go on rampages, reason why those were rarely seen with trainers. 'Definitely a bad idea…'

Deciding to brush those thoughts aside for the moment, Ash focuses on petting Akane- who naps peacefully by his side- before sparing a brief glance to the sleeping Leaf.

Petting Akane- who's peacefully napping by his side- before sparing a brief glance to the sleeping Leaf, Ash silently wonders why she decided to stay with him- after all, with a Pokémon as tough as Bulbasaur, she could take on Pewter Gym without any real training. Ash, on the other hand…

Then again, he and Leaf had been close friends ever since she moved to Pallet from her former home at the Sevii Islands. Sometimes she was complex, others- just a complete mess- yet still, the bond they shared was strong and the trust in between them, near infinite. 'Hell, she's even sharing a tent with me…a guy…'

He sighs, before going back to his reading.

It is only after three hours, that the rain finally ceases and- after shaking Leaf awake and putting on rubber boots, more suitable for walking on the mud, the duo continues on their joint journey towards Pewter city.

'The rain just came to make everything hotter.' He muses with another sigh, watching as Akane practices a new move- Metal Claw- as he'd told her earlier. While there wasn't any significant progress besides a faint silvery glow to her claws, he was sure she'd have it mastered by the time they got to Pewter. "Keep trying, girl. I'm sure you'll get the gist of it soon!"

"Charmander!" his starter energetically replies, before slashing at a nearby tree with her glowing claws.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"You two sure are enthusiastic." Leaf comments, observing the Charmander practice with interest. "So far so good, Bulbasaur here hasn't needed that much training."

"Bul." As if to confirm his trainer's words, the stout Grass type uses his vines to slash through a bunch of thick tree branches all at once. Needless to say, both Ash and Akane felt a tad bit jealous of his strength.

"Always being the tough guy, huh Bulbasaur?"

"Bul!"

It doesn't take very long before they start meeting the annoying Bug Catchers, who had started coming out of whatever holes they hid during storms.

As the name said, Bug Catchers were a class of trainers- usually young kids- who ventured into the maze that was Viridian Forest in order to catch and train the fast-growing Bug type Pokémon. Their teams were usually weak, consisting of mostly Weedle or Caterpie- while the stronger ones had Metapod and Kakuna accompanying them. Some were even accompanied by Beedrill or Butterfree; and those were the best battlers in that place so far.

Since Akane, being a Fire type, had an immense advantage over virtually every Bug type that made the woods its home, the task of battling them fell mostly upon Ash's shoulders. Leaf usually picked the stronger ones as a training for Spearow, who had revealed herself to be quite the little devil in those fights.

A weak drizzle starts to fall from the cloudy skies, as the sun slowly descends into the horizon. Though the drops of water do little besides tapping against the clothes, it is clear both Leaf and Akane are starting to feel uncomfortable under it. "We should set up camp soon."

"Indeed- I remember Dexter telling me something about a clearing a few minutes awa-"

. It is then, that, all of a sudden, a short, dark figure walks out of the woods to the middle of the road, earning a loud squeal from Leaf that would have made a Fearow jealous. Under the fading light of twilight, it takes a bit of time before a tense Ash Ketchum can recognize it as a little kid, dressed in an ancient Kantonese armor and wielding a miniature Katana.

"Gee…that's just a kid." Ash comments with a relieved sigh, though his eyes do not drift off the boy for a second. Was he just waiting there to ambush them? "Don't go jumping out of the woods like that! Leaf here has been scared off ghosts ever since that Haunter pranked her so…"

"Hey! Don't go telling others' embarrassing secrets like that, Ketchum!" Leaf protests with an angry punch to his shoulder. Her glare then turns to the armored kid, who stares at the two in a fighting stance. "Who are you, anyway? You look a tad bit too young to be sneaking up on people like that!"

"Are ye travelers from the southern town of Pallet?" the strange kid inquires, completely ignoring Leaf's question in favor of glaring back at Ash with fire burning in his eyes. It was still quite comical though- as the helmet was way too big for his small head, and leaned to the side whenever he moved.

Also, his archaic way of speaking sounded way too funny. It reminded Ash of the classic poems he was so fond of!

"Yes, we are!" Ash cheerfully replies, ignoring Leaf's wary glare in favor of staring back at the boy. A flash of light to his side, followed by an angry cry, confirmed Spearow had been released. "What of it, though?"

"I see…then, th're is nay choice. My name is Samurai, and I shalt defeat thee and regain my lost honor!"

"What are you even talking about?" A deeply confused Leaf inquires, staring incredulously at the almost absurd scene that unfolded before her very eyes. Ash grinned eagerly, as the boy buried his katana on the mud by his feet before grabbing a Pokéball from his pocket. "Oh, for Pete's sake- unbelievable!"

With a guttural roar, a large, furious Pinsir materializes in the road between them. Leaf's eyes widened to their limits, as she stared at one of the rarest, most powerful Pokémon to be found in the maze that was Viridian Forest. Protected by an armor of extremely hard , organic polymers, the bipedal Bug type is, much like the samurai of medieval Kanto during the Warring States Period, armed to the teeth.

Its strange, gaping mouth is filled with many long, sharp teeth that are arranged in a horizontal manner. At the ends of its arms, there were clawed hands and feet- yet the most impressive weapon at the bug's disposal were its pincers. According to Professor Cedric Juniper's 'Fundaments of Bug Type Anatomy and Physiology', a Pinsir's pincers could accumulate great quantities of iron, meaning it had the power to crush, toss, bludgeon, or tear through pretty much anything in its path.

Hence why Pinsir, despite not having any known evolution, were often seen in battles between elite trainers. Even though they were Bug types- thus deemed as weak by most trainers- their sheer power and resilience made them forces to be reckoned with.

Ash's eager grin immediately fades, once his eyes meet the crazed glare of the Bug type. He then looks at Akane, who all but trembles at the sight of such a big, strong-looking Pokémon. "Akane…"

Much to the shock of both him and Leaf, though, the Charmander- instead of hiding behind Ash's legs like she seemed to want to- takes a step forward into the muddy trail. Ketchum can't even describe the feeling of pride that washes over his entire body, as he sees the blaze in her long, slender tail burning stronger, brighter than it'd ever been.

"I see- so you won't back down after all…" Ash comments with a proud smile at his partner. "If that's the case, then let's do this! I accept your challenge, Samurai!"

Before any command can be given by either trainer, Pinsir lunges forward like a maddened beast, its horns clicking like true pincers as it charged up what Ash recognized as Brick Break. Knowing the battle would be over in mere seconds, should Akane engage that beast in close combat, Ash quickly commands her to dodge- which she successfully does with her superior speed. "Now, hit its flanks with Ember! Don't give it time to rest!"

Akane gives him an eager cry of agreement, before waving her tail in Pinsir's direction- sending many drops of burning oil flying towards it. "Atta girl!"

Even though it clearly causes some damage to the armored beast, such an attack is not even close to being enough to put down a Pinsir. Thus, Ash is not surprise when the bug lets out another roar, before its pincers start to glow in an intense blue light. Like a Tauros preparing to strike, it then lowers its head before charging towards Akane once more.

"Hold it, Akane." Ash calmly tells her, even when the little Charmander looks at the approaching Pinsir nervously. When Pinsir's just a couple feet away from hitting her, Ash then gives her his next command. "Get under it!"

Reacting with the speed of a female Charmander, Akane slides under the approaching bug's legs with ease- though barely managing to dodge its horns. "Metal Claw! Cut it down!"

Both Ash and Leaf can only grin as Akane's claws are surrounded by a familiar silver aura, before she delivers a powerful slash right to Pinsir's left leg- making the large bug actually stumble and crash into the tree line behind her.

Though the attack wasn't nearly as strong as a fully charged Metal Claw, in fact, it was more like a very strong Scratch than anything; it still managed to deal some good damage. A young Pinsir's carapace wasn't as resistant as the armor an older member of the species had, thus, Akane's Metal Claw manage to dig deep into the bug's flesh- its left leg was near useless now, and the Pinsir was forced to kneel down else risk collapsing under its own weight.

Only then, does Ash notice Samurai had yet to give Pinsir an order. In fact, the boy seemed content to simply stay back and watch- almost as if…

'That's it…' Red couldn't believe how he failed to notice it before- of course Samurai wouldn't give Pinsir any orders. In fact, Samurai didn't have any form of control over Pinsir- at all. 'Of course, he's far too young and inexperienced to handle such a temperamental Pokémon.'

This would make things much easier for the Pallet rookie. Though its power was impressive, Pinsir fought like a berserker- a mindless beast, seeking the complete destruction of its opponent before all else. It lacked tactics, it lacked strategy, it lacked reason- therefore, he could be easily put down by a weaker, yet smarter opponent.

"We're winning this, Akane! Use Ember!" Ash enthusiastically orders, as his partner shakes her tail again and again- raining drops of burning oil down on the helpless Pinsir. Though they didn't even compare to the flames of a fully grown Charizard, Akane's embers did provide just enough energy to start overheating Pinsir's carapace. 'Bug types may have strong armors, but that turns against them once things start getting hot…'

However, Pinsir wasn't done yet.

"Watch out, Red!" Leaf's warning falls on deaf ears, as Ash's eyes almost jump off their sockets in pure shock; the teen being only able to watch as the crazed Bug type starts charging up an absolutely massive amount of energy between its pincers before firing it all in a single, purple-black beam.

Red doesn't even have the time to shout out a warning to his starter before the obviously imperfect- but still quite powerful- Hyper Beam slams into her like a subway train.

"Ash, wait!" Leaf actually has to grab him by the hand, before a panicking Ash nearly jumps into the dense cloud of smoke and dust that forms around the spot the attack had hit his starter. A hundred emotions flooded his body, as his eyes looked for his missing starter to no avail. "Bulbasaur, help Akane! The Hyper Beam must have pushed her into the woods, there's no way she could have-"

Before Green can even finish her sentence, the darkening forest is set alight, as a torrent of turbulent, orange flames is released towards the kneeling Pinsir like the spear of an angry god. In the blink of an eye, the Bug type's body is completely engulfed by the wild fire; so hot, even at distance it manages to burn the hairs of Ash's arms.

And there, standing in the middle of a tiny inferno as the smoke dissipates, is Akane. Instead of the timid, gentle Charmander, though, the Lizard bathed by the flames looked like a completely different creature. Her polka dot ribbon was completely gone, and her eyes glowed with unparalleled wrath- as wild and intense as the fire around her. 'Her tail…so this is the power of Blaze!'

Pinsir's ear-piercing shrieks of pain echo through the woods, before Samurai finally gets over his shock and recalls it in growing panic. In fact, the little boy seems on the verge of tears. Exhausted, hurt, and with her energy completely drained by such a powerful attack, Akane collapses- and Ash immediately recalls her before whispering a silent 'Thank You' to her Pokéball.

"Ash!" Leaf runs up to him, worried, before Ash reassures her with a warm smile. He's just about to pull out a few Potions and Burn Heals to heal their Pokémon, when an eerie buzzing sound makes itself heard in the dark.

'This sound…could it be?!'

As the flames Akane had set up start to slowly spread to the trees in the principles of a small forest fire, a swarm of Beedrill- led by a clearly furious Queen- flies out of the woods. The bugs only get noisier and noisier once they see the trainers, their stings pointing at them menacingly.

"Damn…" Ever the protective fellow, Bulbasaur had already jumped in front of the two trainers- putting himself as a barrier between them and the ravenous hive. Samurai himself- seemingly getting over his shock at Pinsir's defeat- had released two weak-looking Weedle from his remaining Pokéballs, while an increasingly angry Spearow circled above their heads. "This is bad."

Though they were relatively weak when fighting alone, Beedrill could be deadly when they came in swarms- mercilessly assaulting their opponents in wave after wave of attacks. Queens were actually quite powerful, though they rarely left unless they felt the hive was in danger. 'And we just happen to have run into one.'

According to one of the books Professor Oak had lent him, Beedrill differed from the other Pokémon in their way of life- there was no such thing as individual will in a group of Beedrill, instead, all consciousness belonged to the entity known as the Hive. Queens were the leaders- and, overall, most 'intelligent- members of a Beedrill hive, while also being the mothers of most, if not all, of the Worker and Drone Beedrill in her colony.

Unlike the usual Beedrill, Queens were larger- being at least double the size of a worker- and had a pointed abdomen, with their six (instead of four) legs being splayed outwards. Not only that, but a Queen's stings were smooth like actual needles, instead of barbed like a worker's.

"Leaf…" Is the only thing Ash can say, as he feels his friend's hand interlocking with his own. A brief glance could tell she was scared, though was doing her best to stay strong. "I'm not asking you to leave. I know you wouldn't do it anyway."

"You know me well then, Red~" Leaf replied with a sly grin. Her hand then left his, and she nodded at his bag. "Go and heal Akane. Bulbasaur, Spearow and I will try to hold them back as well as we can."

"Very well. I'm counting on you, Green!"

As the Queen orders her drones to charge with their needles raised high, Bulbasaur doesn't even need a command to spring into action: the stout Grass type almost immediately called for a storm of glowing, green leaves that spun around its little body like a true tornado. The Beedrill's mad charge was cut short, as they were met with the full force of Leaf Storm, one of the most powerful Grass type moves in existence.

"Yes! Get 'em, Bulbasaur!"

As much as he wanted to admire the effects of such move, however imperfect it was, Ash still had work to do. Taking off his jacket and placing it on the muddy ground, the teen releases a near-unconscious Akane onto it- ignoring the fact her tail almost immediately starts burning the cotton- before starting with his treatment.

'Let's see…'First, he applies some cold water onto the mild burns all over her body, before cleaning them with alcohol 70%. Akane actually winces when he does so, though he reassures her with a warm smile. "You did great, girl. Just a little bit more…"

Remembering his training as one of the Professor's aides, Ash then applied some Antidote in order to stimulate the Immune System, before using a syringe to inject one of his stronger Potions right into her cubital vein, which was easy to see and puncture.

Antidotes had a very distinct way of acting in Pokémon; in synthesis, those were way less specific than the remedies applied in poisoned humans. Pokémon Antidotes worked by stimulating a general immune response mediated by type 2 T- Helper lymphocytes, thus releasing a lot of antibodies against extracellular pathogens such as bacteria and protozoa.

With Akane stable, Ash then returns his attention to the battle around him: many Beedrill had been knocked out by the combined efforts of Bulbasaur, whose storm seemed to have taken a toll on him; and then, there was Spearow, who looked clearly hurt, but still fought on with fierceness. Samurai's pair of Weedle was also helping, much to Ash's surprise, by imprisoning a few of the Beedrill with String Shot.

'Even then…' Despite all that, the hive still managed to overwhelm them. There were simply too many Beedrill, and even Bulbasaur wasn't strong enough to hold them back for too long. In fact, the Grass type seemed to have taken the most damage of them all- his body bruised, cut and stabbed by multiple needles.

Yet, he refused to go down- whipping back at any approaching Beedrill with weakening vines.

"Are you done there, Ash?" Leaf inquires worriedly, looking up to see Spearow recklessly ramming into one of the Workers- before immediately starting to peck another one with its sharp beak. "That thing has yet to join the fray, and I'm not sure we can beat it."

Indeed, while the workers never stopped their advance towards them- the Beedrill Queen seemed content to just stay back and lead them from the rear, instead of taking them head on. Then again, a Beedrill Queen wasn't like an alpha Pinsir or Scyther- who constantly needed to prove himself in combat.

"Akane needs to rest, and I don't have any other Pokémon with me. Samurai!"

"Y-Yes!" the kid replies nervously, dodging a needle that passed dangerously close to his helmet.

"I'm going to cover for you and Leaf, so at my sign- you two are going to ru-"

And it is only then, that an ear-piercing screech makes itself heard in the darkening skies above them, and the three trainers look up to see the immense silhouette of a Pidgeot descending onto the fray like lightning in a storm. Under the faint light of the dying flames, the bird's beautiful feathers glint like polished gold.

When their eyes meet, Ash instantly realizes this Pokémon was far beyond their level.

"What?!" Is all both him and Leaf can say, as they can only watch the great bird brutally slam into the Beedrill Queen with Steel Wing, knocking her onto a nearby tree with such force, they can hear the wood crack.

"Hey, you two!" Samurai is the one to break them out of their shock, the boy rushing towards them with his miniature blade sheathed. "We're seriously 5000% dead! We need to run, now!"

"Oh, so you can talk normally, kiddo!" Leaf rebukes, before grabbing Ash's arm and pulling. "Okay, Ashy-boy. It's time for a tactical retreat!"

"Wait." Red says in an abnormally calm tone, making Leaf's grip on him instinctively tighten. He takes his eyes off the scene of Pidgeot tossing the Queen up with its powerful beak to meet her shocked gaze. "Take a better look at that Pidgeot- what do you see?"

"A giant golden bird?" the girl practically hisses back, before pulling once more. "Come on, Ketchum. Now it's not the time for this!"

Before the Beedrill Queen can even react, Pidgeot forms two blades of wind in its wings- ignoring the approaching swarm in favor of finishing their leader off with the most powerful Air Slash Ketchum had ever seen.

Yet the great bird is far from done yet, as the entirety of the Hive turns to attack it with murderous intent, Pidgeot flies in between their lines with an impossibly fast Quick Attack- knocking several of the workers out in the process- before finally performing a perfect U-Turn right there in the air and flapping its massive wings: releasing such a powerful whirlwind, all the bugs are pushed back into the woods.

Needless to say, none of them gets back up.

Pidgeot then graciously lands on the ground by Ash's side, and the teen can't help but notice how big the Flying type really is. Both he and Gary were considered impressively tall for their ages, but Pidgeot still manages to stand at least two feet taller than him- and the width of its wings. 'Simply wow…'

"Well, there we are. Bird food." Leaf comments with a sigh. Ash ignores her, though, in favor of staring back at the Pokémon's crimson eyes- and he could say in quite the poetical manner, he saw no ill intent in them. "I swear, Ashy-boy. If we survive this, we're having a talk."

"Thank you for helping us out, Pidgeot." Ash replies with a grin, though his voice tone has nothing but respect. "If there's anything we can do to repay the favor…"

As a response, the bird merely coos, before nodding at the slowly recovering Akane, the wounded Bulbasaur and the roughened up Spearow- who had lost a good part of her wings' feathers. Pidgeot then bends forwards, and Ash finally gets the message. "Do you want me to…ride you?"

Pidgeot coos back at him, before nodding. Not even thinking twice at the prospect, Ash carefully hops back onto the massive Flying type's back, holding onto its neck as Pidgeot adjusts itself.

"Wait- what?! Are you just going to leave us here, Ash?!" Leaf inquires, to which Ash simply smiles before signing her to hop on. "Okay, okay, fine…I'll do it."

As a matter of fact, Leaf Green didn't like large birds. When she still lived with her parents at Knot Island, a wild Fearow tried to attack her while she was playing with her mother's Dunsparce at the backyard of their house. Needless to say, it wasn't a pleasing experience- and it led to her developing a strong dislike for any flying type larger than the average Pidgey.

"Are you alright?" Ketchum inquires, looking back to see a pale Leaf holding onto his back as if her life depended on it. "I can always hold you if you feel like you're going to fall."

"I'm…I'm fine! Thanks!" Seeing the usually mature and teasing Leaf like this was…amusing, at least in Ash's point of view. He wondered how she'd react once Spearow finally evolved into a Fearow. "What about Samurai, though? W-We can't just leave him here."

"Oh, kind of forgot him for a moment. Hmmm…hey, Pidgeot…" Ash inquires, making the bird whip its head backwards to look at him. "Can you carry him with your talons?"

Pidgeot's response to this is to simply flap its immensely wide wings, not giving Samurai even a chance to react before its talons wrap around the little boy's padded shoulders. Needless to say, the boy kicks and protests but- after what had just happened- neither Ash, nor Leaf could bring themselves to care.

"This is going to be awesome."

With another flap of its powerful wings, Pidgeot takes off towards Pewter City. Its screech was only matched in magnitude, by the scared yelling of a certain child swordsman.

Pewter City

"Welcome to our Pokémon Cen-" Nurse Joy's kind greeting freezes in her mouth the moment she lands her eyes on the three battered, dirty trainers that had just walked through the front door of Pewter City's Pokémon Center. "M-My goodness, what happened to you?!"

"Let's just say we had a rough evening!" Ash jokes with a flashy smile, before tapping his Pokédex at the ID scanner on the counter. "Anyways, I think we need your help, Nurse Joy."

"Rough is quite the euphemism for what happened back in the forest." Leaf comments with a sigh, doing the same with her own Dex before placing both her Pokéballs at a basket- handed to her by a helpful Chansey. "We were attacked by a swarm of wild Beedrilll, so our Pokémon might need some healing."

Not that any of them had been gravely wounded by the Bugs- even Bulbasaur, who had taken the most damage out of everyone in the fight, had but a few cuts caused by the Beedrilll's stings.

"I-I see…" the nurse nervously replies. "In that case, Chansey- could you…"

"Chansii~" the Normal type replies, cheerfully as usual, accepting Akane's Pokéball from Ash and Pinsir's from Samurai before walking into a room to the back.

"We'd also like to book a room for two." Leaf says with a tired sigh- sparing a glance at Ash before continuing. "My name is Leaf Green, this goof here is Ash Ketchum."

"Right, right! Just a moment please…" Finally getting over her shock, Nurse Joy quickly accesses the panel- furiously typing a few numbers before a clicking sound makes itself heard. "All done, Ms. Green, Mr. Ketchum. I've reserved room 103 to you. I hope you enjoy your stay~"

"Thanks." Leaf replies, all but snatching the keys from the nurse's hand before giving Ash a mean look. "I'm going up first. I reeeally need a shower now, so you deal with the kid there."

"Cranky, aren't you?" Ash teases back as the girl rushes upstairs, before turning his gaze to Samurai- who was fiddling nervously by the counter. "Can you wait for a bit? I need to talk to someone first."

"Most certainly, Ketchum-dono." The little boy replies with an eager nod.

'Here it goes…archaic again. Well, whatever.' With a mental shrug, Ash casually makes his way back to the entrance of the Pokémon Center- a wave of cold, wet air hitting him as soon as he steps out through the automatic doors.

There, perched on the thickest branch of a lone, black cherry tree- in the middle of an empty, brick-paved plaza, Pidgeot waits for him. Golden eyes meet blood crimson, as boy and bird measure each other's presences. No words are said; no words are needed.

Giving him one last silent, acknowledging nod, the mighty bird flaps its immense wings and takes off. With a smirk, Ash follows it with his eyes until the golden Pidgeot disappears in the night sky.

To Ketchum, it was an omen- a message from the old gods of Kanto, the winged mirages that ruled over the heavens and earth, that they were looking after him.

'And now- to see what fate holds for me.'

"So…is this the right place?"

Standing by the large wooden gateway of a traditional Kantonese manor, both Ash and Leaf have their eyes locked on the screen of Ash's Pokédex- Dexter- where the GPS depicts a blinking red dot in their location.

"I think so…" Leaf rebukes, clearly impressed as she eyes their surroundings. Dotted with fruit trees that bring shade and freshness, the neighborhood they're in is clearly high-class. "I never thought that kid was rich, though. What are his parents even doing?"

"Well, we are used to worse." He states with a snicker, making a clear reference to a certain friend of theirs. "Anyways, I think we should call-"

"S'rry to make thou wait, Ketchum-dono, Green-ojou!" Just as Ash is about to pick up his Pokégear, the massive wooden gates spring open, and a familiar black-haired grade schooler welcomes them with a wide smile. "Welcometh to my own residence!"

"Wow- really?" Green replies with cocked brows. Needless to say, Samurai's archaic way of speaking got on her nerves. That boy had put them through enough trouble for a lifetime already.

"C'mon Leaf, they're even inviting us for breakfast. Sure his parents are sorry for what happened." Ketchum whispered back as they followed Samurai through the meandering pathways of a beautiful sand garden.

Depicting an abundance of bright colored, decorative carving; white paper panels and exaggerated curving of the roofs the manor was a perfect example of opulence so characteristic of Pewter's Miyamoto era- during which the city reached the apex of its power, wealth and influence.

"Our guests have arrived, Father, Mother!"

They step into a large, open room- which had an opening to the back that gave them full view of a small flower garden. There, sitting on their feet by a long table, are a man and a woman- both black of hair and eyes. Dressed in black kimonos, the couple has an aristocratic, traditional air in them; like they had come directly from the Warring States era.

"Greetings, Mr. Ketchum, Ms. Green." The couple greets in unison, sending a flinch up Ash's spine- that was creepy in an indescribable way. "We're glad to see you've accepted our invitation. Please, help yourselves."

What followed was what both Ash and Leaf could describe as the best meal they've had in ages. Breaking the Kantonese tradition of frugality, Samurai's parents had all kinds of delicacies at their table- including grilled Magikarp, fermented soybeans, seasoned dried seaweed and even rice balls. Even their freshly recovered Pokémon were given only the best rations and berries.

After a most substantial meal, the rookie trainers had a small talk with Samurai's parents- during which they apologized for the problems their son had caused, and offered them gifts as compensation.

They insisted a lot, so the two ended up taking them: Ash received a silky, bright pink Kalosian ribbon for Akane- a replacement for the one destroyed when she used Blaze against Pinsir- and a large, beautiful piece of amber while Leaf received an item called a Macho Brace, which would help train Bulbasaur's strength.

"Well…all that trouble was actually worth it, I guess." Ash jests, as they step out through the gateways. Akane and Bulbasaur stood by their trainer's feet, admiring their new gifts. "I mean, at least they treated us to some food!"

"Gee, you're really cheap to be bought off like that." Leaf comments with a mocking scoff, before her expression changes to a smile. "So- what are you planning to do now? I think I'm going to visit the museum now so…"

"Dexter told me the hills around Pewter are a really awesome place. Lots of trees, cool sights and calm spots to train." Ketchum enthusiastically replies, before looking down at Akane. "What do you say, girl? Wanna go explore a bit?"

"Char, Char!" the Fire type replies with an eager nod.

"Alright- to the hills it is then! Sorry, Leaf- after eating so much, I'm in the mood for some action."

"No problem. I'll see you at the Pokémon Center then~"

They share a high-five, before each goes their own way. It takes him about an hour of walking, but Ash and Akane eventually find themselves a nice, hidden valley between two rocky hills. A few feet below their stone platform, a crystal clear stream ran peacefully through a dense cedar forest.

"Alright, girl- let's do this! Metal Claw!"

Though she had yet to fully recover from that Hyper Beam from Samurai's mad beast of a Pinsir, Akane still had enough energy in her to deliver a series of powerful slashes to a couple of rocks at the hillside. With a metallic glint, her claws cut through the stone as if it were butter.

'She aced it.' Needless to say, Ash was proud of his little partner. Although she still has a long way to go before she becomes the strongest, the Charmander clearly had it in her. "You did it, Akane! That was a perfect Metal Claw!"

"Char?"

"Yeah- you did it, girl." The teenager replies with a flashy smile, before the Fire type jumps onto him for a hug. Her tail flame flickers wildly from side to side ,as she gives his face a few licks. "Seems like you're quite happy too huh?"

"Indeed! Your Pokémon seems to like you a lot!"

Turning back on his heels, Ketchum's eyes land on a tall, lean, yet very muscular, young man in his early twenties; like most of Pewter's citizens, he has a slightly tanned skin due to many hours spent under the scorching sun, and his spiky hair is of a dark brown tone. He's dressed on a loose, bright yellow cotton shirt and baggy cargo pants- an attire which he completes with a pair of simple leather boots.

"She does indeed." Ash replies in a casual tone, as the man walks up to him with a friendly smile. "Anyways, the name's Ash, Ash Ketchum- though people often call me Red."

"Brock Takeshi." The older man calmly replies, taking the offered hand and giving it a solid shake. Almost immediately, Ketchum's eyes glint in recognition- and the man continues with a grin. "I'm Pewter City's Gym Leader, nice to meet you, Ash."

"Talk about a coincidence- we were just training to battle you!" Red states with a smirk wider than ever. Akane eyes the man inquisitively, clearly confused by her trainer's sudden excitement, before shrugging it off with a yawn. "I never thought I'd meet a Gym Leader here though."

"Let's just say there's a rather troublesome group of Electric type Pokémon in the area; Officer Jenny asked me to capture their leader, so they can actually disband." Brock replies with a tired sigh. "Besides- this is one of the best spots in the area to either train or relax. I figured I'd find their hiding somewhere around here."

"Well, that sounds quite troublesome."

"That's a Gym Leader's duty, so it's not like I can complain…" Shrugging, Brock then grabs a Pokéball from one of his pockets- pressing the capture button to make it expand. "Tell you what? Watching you train got me in the mood for a battle, and it just happens one of my new Pokémon needs some training. What do you say?"

"Oh yeah, bring it on!" Pumping his fist, Ash gently puts Akane down on the ground as Brock releases a Rhyhorn by his side. Though it clearly is small, being about half the usual size for the species, the Ground/Rock hybrid still looks quite confident. "A baby Rhyhorn?"

"Yeah. I captured him a few days after a flock passed by." The young Gym Leader explains, petting the large beast's head for a bit. In response, Rhyhorn gently butts her head against his leg- though if Brock's wince was anything to go by, it must have left quite the bruise. "Ouch."

To put it in simple terms, a Rhyhorn is like a war tank- it's strong, stupid, armored, and will probably smash through whatever obstacle there is in its way.

Ash doesn't even need to use Dexter to know that- five years as Professor Oak's aide have given him much experience with the species, which could be ridden at a trainer's own risk. With bones 1000 times harder than a human's, and covered in extremely hard plates of rocky armors, the Spikes Pokémon was probably the reason why Kanto's famed Samurai almost never used shields.

No shield wall could possibly stand the weight of hundreds of pounds of muscle and stone.

"Well, let's get this started! Horn attack!"

Letting out a loud roar, the Rhyhorn lowers his head and charges- though he is faster than what was usually expected for the species, probably because his armor had yet to fully develop, the Rock type was still painfully slow if compared to Akane. And Ketchum was certainly going to use that to his advantage.

"Dodge- then use Ember." Not wanting to reveal all his tricks to the Gym Leader, Ash calmly gives Akane his orders- and watches with a grin, as she easily steps to the side seconds before Rhyhorn came crashing in her direction. Drops of burning oil cut to the air towards the bulky hybrid. 'Not that it did much, though.'

"Again!" Brock orders with a wide grin. The older man was clearly having his dose of fun, even in a low-level battle like this.

"Jump and counter it with Metal Claw!" Yet again, Rhyhorn roars, before charging once more- this time, however, Akane was ready. In an impressive display of speed, the female Charmander jumps up the beast's spine from a large rock, before starting to mercilessly assault it with glowing white claws. "Keep up the pressure, girl!"

"Char!"

A Rhyhorn's brain was incredibly small and primitive, so whatever commands Brock could give were completely ignored in favor of thrashing about- trying to throw its much smaller and agile assailant off its back.

"Now, Akane, use Flamethrower between its plates!"

Although a Rhyhorn's armor of rocky plates made it near invulnerable to Fire type attacks, the heat was a whole other story: while the rock could and would retain- and quickly expel- most of the heat coming from the outside, the same wasn't true for the energy coming from inside it. In synthesis, if the flames penetrated through the breaches in between the plates, the same armor that made Rhyhorn a powerhouse, turned it into a walking oven.

"That was a clever move." Brock comments with a snicker, as he recalls the panicking Pokémon. "You're very knowledgeable about Pokémon. It's rare to see trainers who could defeat a Rhyhorn so easily, especially with a Fire type."

"It worked because your Rhyhorn was a baby." Adult Rhyhorn were not only much more resilient, but had most of their plates fused- much like an adult human's skull. Not only that, but climbing up an adult's back during battle would be outright suicide- Akane would be easily tossed off and stomped, or stabbed by the spines on its back. "Thanks for the compliment, though."

"Char~" Akane cheerfully cries, before jumping up his arms for another hug. With a warm smile, Ash pets her head affectionately. "You did great, girl. I'm proud of you."

"Well- a battle is a battle, and since I'm a Gym Leader, I figured I should give you this." Brock then shows him a small, grayish, metallic object- shaped so its form would resemble a boulder. The teen's eyes widen when he recognizes a Badge, a symbol of a trainer's victory over a certain Gym. "This is the official Boulder Badge, a proof of your victory. Now, if you only lend me your Trainer Card…"

"Wait! Hold on, hold on!"

"What? Is something wrong? I can always get you another one at the Gy-"

"It's not about the badge, man." Ash cuts him short with a sigh, adjusting his arms so Akane can stay comfortable before continuing. "This wasn't even an official Gym Battle, you and I were clearly holding back."

"Yes, that's true. But still, it doesn't change the fact that…"

"I won a battle against a Gym Leader, I'm aware of that." Ketchum then grins, making the older man cock his brows in interrogations. "Yet- where would all the fun be if I took your badge? Me and Akane plan to become the strongest in the region, so it wouldn't do us any good to skip a step."

An image of Leaf then comes to mind.

"Besides, my friend also wants to challenge you tomorrow. I'd rather have us do this together."

"I see…" the Gym Leader rebukes in a wondering tone, before finally giving him a warm smile. "You must be the weirdest trainer I've met in many moons- I'll give you that. Very well, I'll be waiting for you tomorrow then, Ash Ketchum."

"You won't be disappointed, Brock Takeshi."

With one last respectful handshake, the Gym Leader leaves- walking back to the city through a rocky shortcut the rookie had failed to notice earlier. 'I'll make use of that later.'

Feeling really tired all of a sudden, Red climbs up a narrow trail and sits down by the edge of a large volcanic stone. Petting Akane's warm belly as she dozes off on his lap, the trainer takes his time to admire the vast sea of trees that dominated the valleys in between the hills and mountains- his mind empty of worries and fears. Though it shared a very similar background to its 'sister' region Johto and, to some extent, distant Hoenn to the south- the Kanto region actually managed to find the balance between nature and mankind.

Most of the region's population concentrated in areas relatively close to the sea, while the more continental parts of Kanto were sparsely populated. There were many reasons for that, though the most important was the fact that the majority of Pokémon got really aggressive whenever their habitats were threatened- add the fact that some of those have power to level a small town, and one had a good reason to preserve their environment.

'Not that is a bad thing, though…' Ash mused, before looking down to meet the eyes of Akane- who was giving him an odd look. "So, are you confident for tomorrow?"

"Charmander!"

"Heh, I'm happy to hear that!" The little incident with the Beedrill didn't have as much of an effect on his partner's rather delicate personality as he expected. Then again, Akane was practically unconscious through most of it. 'Both of us, we need to get stronger- not only to protect ourselves, but the ones we care about too.'

Though everything was in the past now, it didn't necessarily mean Ash would forget that incident anytime soon. It just served to show that, though they were still very far from their objective.

"Well, back to training, I guess. What do you say, girl?"

"Char!"

Few hours later, and the duo find themselves having a late afternoon under the shadow of a verdant cedar- the teen relishing on the simple, yet still magnificent, taste of pure rice with olive oil, while the Charmander ate some raw Magikarp cubes sauced with Cheri berries. To say they'd been working hard would have been a euphemism.

With Metal Claw - a move which, as proved in the battle against Rhyhorn, could give them the edge in their first official Gym Battle- finally mastered, Ash decided to start working on a combination of two moves: Smokescreen and Ember. He named it 'Brazier', a name Akane herself chose.

It wasn't a really complex technique: if anything, the attack merely consisted in covering a large area with smoke, before carpet bombing it with the burning drops of flammable oil that formed Ember. 'Still, quite useful to distract the opponent for enough time…'

After all, while Akane did- in fact- learn the extremely powerful Flamethrower while under the effects of Blaze, her use of the move was very limited. Her body was way too small and underdeveloped to properly control such a hot stream of flames, so they'd probably need to wait until she evolved before adding it to the book of tricks.

'I wonder how strong she'll be once she becomes a Charmale- whoa!'

Before he can even finish up his thoughts, a stray electric shock hits the wood barely inches above Akane's head. Trainer and Charmander react almost instantly, rolling to the side quickly enough to avoid another Thundershock.

"What in the actual…" Turning his gaze in the direction of the attacks, Ash's eyes land on a small, yellow Pokémon whose round body was marked by a pair of black stripes- which seemed to be completed by the ones in its arms. It had two horns on top of its head, which resembled the prongs of a plug, complete with holes in their sides "…for real?! An Elekid?!"

Though they weren't considered native to Kanto in official records, Elekid were- in fact- the baby form of the infamously temperamental Electabuzz, which, though not common, could still be found near power plants such as the ones in Pewter and Cerulean. 'Still, I've never even seen one this close before…'

Not giving him any time to think, Elekid dashes towards Akane with a predatory grin on its face- the Charmander manages to block the Quick Attack with her own Metal Claw, though, before spitting embers right to Elekid's face.

However, Elekid wouldn't just pull back this easily- even with its eyes closed, it still manages to deliver a solid kick on Akane's legs, putting her off balance and sending her to the ground before trying to attack her with Dynamic Punch.

"Roll to the side, Akane!" As if Ash would let it! Snapping out of her shock thanks to her trainer's scream, the Charmander is able to roll to the side just in time for the attack to miss. "Flamethrower, now! Push it back!"

A torrent of flames explodes out of Akane's mouth, as she unleashes one of the best Fire type moves right to the wild Elekid's face. Even though it manages to block a bit of it with its arms, the Electric type still takes the full power of the attack at point blank range.

"Keep it up, girl! Brazier!" As the strain of keeping up such powerful move finally started to get his partner, Ash decided to go for another strategy- and watched with a grin as Elekid madly fired Thundershock after Thundershock in a crazed attempt to hit the Charmander. "Yes, that's it! Wait, wha-"

"Char!" Charmander's pained squeal sends a shiver up his spine, as he sees her flying out of the cover of Smokescreen right onto the ground before his feet. Elekid soon follows- its body charred and burned- yet it still kept on fighting, ruthlessly slamming her with yet another Dynamic Punch before Ketchum finally snapped. "You can do this, Akane! Again, Flamethrower!"

And, this time, they had the full might of both Blaze and Solar Power backing them up.

The grass under Elekid's feet is burnt to ashes, as flames hot enough to make hellfire pale in comparison bathe the entirety of its being in a blazing inferno. 'Okay…maybe I'm being a bit too poetic?'

"Anyways…" That Elekid was clearly something else- never had Ash seen a baby Pokémon fight so fiercely, and with great skill nonetheless. Making up a quick decision, the teen picks one of the empty Pokéballs from his belt with a grin. "I simply cannot let an opportunity like that go."

In a single smooth motion, the device is tossed up in the air- hitting the fainted Electric type just as the fire starts to die out. In a flash of bright white light, the Pokéball sucks Elekid in; shaking three times before finally letting out a loud click, signaling a successful capture.

"Well…I guess things have just become way more interesting for us two, haven't they girl?"

"…Char?"

And with that, the two slowly start making their way back to Pewter- an odd glow to their faces as they walk under the fading light of sunset.

Chapter End

A/N: So…how was it? Did you like this chapter?

I opted to cut it short with the capture of Elekid, so I don't cram too much info into a single chapter. Doing this kind of destroys the progression of a story, which is something I really don't want to do with this.

A big shout out to the guest known as 'Professor Seanic'- for publishing his writing tips on a review for the story called Uprising. It actually helped me quite a lot when building up the 'skeleton' for Reverse out of Ascension's bones.

That's it for now, I guess. See you guys on the next chapter.

Alcoholic Pikachu