Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Tapestry ❯ Chapter 7

I am going to attempt to tone down Lance, although that's going to be hard to do… *laughs*

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic belongs to me.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

 

Firehedgehog - thank you!

Akiko Koishii - I have no idea, really

Pichu Star - hmm, still working on that. *ponders*

Chapter 7

 

“Red Eyes, can you do Iron Tail?”

The Ankylosaur studied the opposing rock type, and then swung his tail around, hard. Geodude went flying.

“Eek!” Shouted the camper.

Catelyn had taken off again, on the trail of Team Rocket, Ash didn't mind if she dropped in once in a while.

But it was his journey, not hers.

 

“Excellent!”

Next, thinking the opponent was also a rock type, Jenny sent out Oddish… only to be hit by Ember.

The same fate befell her Bellsprout.

“Great work, Red Eyes!” Ash said, giving his new pokemon a hug. Red Eyes looked startled for a minute, but accepted the gesture.

It didn't feel squishy, and he sensed no malice.

Strange new species, this was.

Still, it was a good life. His new `friend' protected him from the meat-eaters.

So he would obey.

He ambled along, nibbling on the new grass. Yum!

 

Fearow soared overhead, keeping a lookout for other trainers.

OUCH!

A bolt of electricity had beamed out of nowhere and knocked the bird down. Ash quickly ran to catch Fearow, but there was a size difference and Fearow landed on top of him. At least it lessened the force of impact.

Fearow got up, eyes spinning. * What was that? *

 

She was then smacked in the face with a poke ball, but since she was already a trained pokemon, the ball bounced off.

It did not help her steadily decreasing good mood though.

With a cry, Fearow spread her wings and charged with Drill Peck.

 

“HELP!!!”

Pansy dived for the ground as the enraged bird soared overhead.

“Hey! What are you doing? That's my pokemon!” Ash barked.

“Huh?”

Pansy's Magnemite buzzed, and shot off another Thundershock at Fearow, but this time, she dodged in time.

“Pichu!”

Pichu nodded and used Rollout on Magnemite, distracting it while Fearow escaped.

“Quit trying to steal my pokemon.” Ash said, as Fearow flew back to him, its rage finally vented.

Doing swooping dives to scare people could do that.

Pansy glared. “How dare you scare a girl!”

“Oh, stuff it. You were the one trying to steal my pokemon… and you kept attacking after I said so.”

“So?”

“So what?”

With a dramatic flair - well, an attempted dramatic flair, since she fell on her face, Pansy threw off her skirt and vest as Ash covered his eyes. “I am Team Rocket!”

Ash blinked.

Sure, she wore a black leotard with an `R' on it, but… Ew…

 

“That's disgusting!” Ash exclaimed. “I didn't need to see that! Pichu, Thunder!”

Pansy was fried!
She didn't even get to say a motto.

Fearow huffed. I knew she was no good.

“Yes, yes.” Ash agreed, as they continued the route to Vermillion. “I know.” They kept walking.

He had waited in Cerulean a day or two extra, but still the gym leader had not shown up, so finally, he had just gone to get the next badge first.

 

They continued to trek, and walk, and walk… by the time Vermillion was breached they were more than ready to take on Surge. It was a pity Pichu refused to evolve, but she could have been a Raichu.

That went for all of Ash's pokemon who were already evolved or one-shots. He was fishing when all of a sudden, the Good Rod jerked.

“Please, please, please don't let it be another Magikarp…” Ash begged, having bagged nine or ten already that morning.

It didn't quite work.

 

Wild Magikarp attacked!
Ash pulled it off the hook and threw it back in, before baiting his hook with commercial green bait and moving to another fishing spot.

Maybe he would be lucky this time?

He wasn't.

Five more Magikarps later, Ash was getting annoyed. * Why, oh why, oh why, is the Good Rod so bad? Its name is Good Rod, isn't it? *

 

You could try fishing elsewhere, like that stream. Fearow commented. I saw some fish there earlier.

“But you don't eat fish?”

No, I don't eat fish much.

Seeing as he had nothing to lose but time, Ash packed up his tackle and bait and walked into the woods next to the stream, before tossing in his hook and sinker.

Ditto and Pichu sat on opposite shoulders, while Ankylosaur passively followed, taking a few bites of weeds.

They didn't taste too bad…

Maybe it would be okay?

 

This time, the resulting tug on the Good Rod sent Ash flying through the air to land with a plop in the stream.

Ditto immediately transformed into a Lanturn, which Ash clung on to, while Pichu sniffed the air.

Whatever it is, it's an awfully strong pokemon!

Ash gritted his teeth. Sooner or later, the fish would get tired. The key word being sooner or later…

Pichu and Lanturn/Ditto finally managed to stun their opponent and get rid of enough HP for Ash to get in close and throw a poke ball two hours later, roughly.

By then, Ash's hands had been rubbed raw and he was soaking wet and sneezing.

Oh no, looks like you have a cold. Fearow said when she fished him out. Ash made a half-hearted glare, but nodded as he dug a towel out of his backpack and wrung out his wet clothes.

Ankylosaur warmed him up with a fire and body heat, that pokemon was really as good as portable heater.

So it wasn't so bad. Just in case though, he took Motrin to stave off the soreness in his body as well as any potential flu bugs.

Pichu sneezed.

“I vote we spend the night in the Center.” Ash said.

I agree. Ditto nodded.

Sure, I'll second that motion. Pichu mentioned.

Ash ran to the Center, healed his pokemon, and then they all crashed in a convenient room.

It was a pity he was running out of slots on his Trainer's card though, you could only stay at the Center a certain number of times a year for free, otherwise, they started charging pretty steep rates.

Well, but this time he needed a good night's sleep indoors, so he did put that thought out of his mind and fell asleep before his head hit the pillow.

 

End Chapter

Completed 6/2/04