On a Wing and a Dare
"Hello." Humans
"Pika-chu." Pokémon addressing human
"Hello." Pokémon addressing Pokémon
The wind tugged at the flowing grass of the savannas of the Pallet Town Lab, rustling the sparse trees and bushes in the weakening fall sun. Upon a lone spire of rock in this great savannah, with Pidgey's and Spearow's pecking for food, sat Ash. Alone and silent, his chin resting on his hand as he stared into the endless land before him. Sitting out here, he felt so small.
'Yesterday was good.' Ash thought, as so much rattled about in his brain.
Both Pidgeotto and Pikachu have gained moves that will help them not just now, but for the future. Yet that feeling of hope had faded. He trembled as he thought back to the last moments of the fight with Brock, how close he felt victory was. Yet it slipped away like sand in his grasp. Even as he thought about the words his friends said to him yesterday, it failed to light a fire in him. So, he sat. Contemplating and thinking.
This sullen change, however, had quite the profound effect upon Ash's friends and Pokémon. They looked on upon him with concern and troubled worry. Pikachu broke away from them and ran towards Ash in the distance. Leaving the trio alone to discuss.
"I don't think I've ever seen him like this before." Gary said, crossing his arms with worry.
"Does anyone have any ideas?" Lillie asked, looking between the two boys.
"Part of me says to leave him to work it out by himself. But that can backfire tremendously. We need to do something." Isaac explained, crossing his arms like Gary.
This caused the three to fall eerily silent, till Lillie perked up, getting an idea. "I got it!" She proclaimed cheerfully.
"Do we get more drugs from the hospital?" Gary asked with a raised eyebrow, only to get smacked in the arm by Lillie. "OW! Only kidding!!"
"Don't make jokes like that!!" Lillie sternly warned.
"What is your idea, Lillie?" Isaac asked, raising a curious eyebrow.
"We ignite the spark in him again by battling! You know, help rebuild his confidence." Lillie explained.
This caused Gary and Isaac to raise an eyebrow and begin to think. After about a minute, just enough for Lillie to get annoyed, the two nodded in response.
"Alright, I'm in." Gary said with a smile.
"Let's go get Ketchum fired up." Isaac replied with his own smile.
The three then began to walk over to Ash. Just as they began, Pikachu reached Ash. Clambering up the rock, he then pushed against his trainer to get him to notice. This action, however, failed to get Ash to budge, so Pikachu then tried to bash his head against his side. Even that failed to move his trainer to action. Soon his red cheeks lit up with electricity and soon he sent a small electric jolt into his trainer's side. Which finally got his trainer's action.
"OWW!!! Pikachu! What was that for!?" Ash screamed as he turned to look at his Pokémon, who looked at him quite crossly. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry I didn't notice you."
"Pikachu Pika Pikachu." Pikachu replied crossly, tapping his foot impatiently.
"I said I was sorry. I was just deep in thought." Ash said, which got a cross look from Pikachu. "Don't give me that! I think!"
"Pika pi." Pikachu replied in a deadpan.
"Yes, I do." Ash shot back.
"Pika. Pika pika pi?" Pikachu replied, a concerned look on his face.
"Nothing's wrong. Just thinking." Ash replied, though cryptically.
"Pika Pikachu pika?" Pikachu asked, his concern growing.
"How can I not think about that loss? We were so close. Even if the sprinklers weren't going off… would we have one? Did we get so close only because of it? Are the Steel Type moves going to be enough?" Ash asked, partially to his partner, partly to the world at large.
Pikachu simply hugged Ash's side gently, trying to comfort his trainer. Ash smiled a bit and put his hand on the Electric Type's back. Yet as they had a small moment, the two both heard a familiar voice break their focus.
"Hey, Ash!" Gary cried out, causing Ash and Pikachu to look at him.
"What's up, Gary?" Ash asked curiously.
"Come on down! We wanna talk to ya!" Gary called up.
Ash gave a nod and slid down the rock to the ground, with Pikachu close behind. When they landed, Ash noticed that all his friends were there in front of him.
"What's up, guys?" Ash asked, looking at each of them.
"I'll tell you what's up, Ketchum. You haven't been your usual upbeat, annoyingly confident and positive self." Isaac told him, sounding more concerned than his words said.
"Isaac!" Lillie whispered sternly at the foreign samurai.
"What? I'm just being honest!" Isaac whispered back.
"What he's trying to say is we are here to help you with your blues." Lillie said sweetly, while glancing at Isaac.
"What she said." Isaac replied with a smile.
"Help?" Ash asked.
"By doing some good, old fashioned, knockdown, drag out battling to get the blood pumping and lift your spirits." Isaac told him with an excited grin.
To everyone's surprise, Ash stood there silently for a bit before finally responding. "No thank you. I'm not up for it." He replied with a sullen tone.
"Ash not up to battle? Did Arkoos call down the apocalypse?" Gary replied in concern.
"It's Arceus!!" Isaac snapped furiously.
"I know. I say it like that because I know it annoys ya." Gary replied with a grin before looking back at Ash.
"Say it like that one more time and I'll annoy you with my fist in your fat, smug face." Isaac growled, clenching his hand into a fist.
"What are you two doing!?" Lillie hoarsely whispered.
"Tryin' ta make Ash laugh. See if that helps." Gary whispered back.
Lillie turned away from her two idiot companions to see that… Ash was gone. In the time they were distracted, he wasn't standing where they last saw him. Additionally, Pikachu was also gone.
"They're gone!!" Lillie screeched in panic.
"Gah! Jeez, Lill! Ya gotta do that right in my ear!?" Gary snapped, digging into his ear with his pinky.
"Where did they go? They were right there!" Lillie replied in a panic.
"Maybe the two of them just need to be alone for a while?" Isaac asked, shrugging.
"By Arkoos, we are terrible at this." Gary sighed, shaking his head at their failure.
"That's it!!" Isaac replied in fury, tackling Gary to the ground.
"Oh, you wanna fight, Diamond Boy!? It's on, Pearl Face!!" Gary ground before beginning to wrestle with his Sinnohan friend.
"Bring it on, Blue Balls!!" Isaac replied as he and Gary began fighting. Swiftly, a dust cloud began to form as they fought with the commotion causing the nearby small Pokémon to flee.
Lillie pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed deeply. "Boys…" She groaned deeply.
Yet, as the three of them were distracted, they all failed to notice dark clouds beginning to form in the distance. With the low rumble of thunder as its herald.
Meanwhile: With Ash and Pikachu
"Pikachu. You can go home." Ash said as he walked, the grassy fields shifting to that of the properties forest.
"Pika. Pi Pikachu Pika, Pi." Pikachu replied in concern.
"I'll be fine. It's not like it matters, anyways." Ash sighed as he picked up the pace of his walking. The trees now towered over them as they walked.
Glaring, Pikachu scurried up Ash's body before snatching his hat clean off his head. This caught Ash off guard as Pikachu began to run away with it.
"Hey! Give that back, Pikachu!!" Ash cried out before running after him.
Pikachu quickly put on Ash's hat and scurried up a tree. "PI PIKACHU PIKA!" He called down from atop the tree.
"That's blackmail you, electric rat! Now get back here, or I swear you're not getting ketchup with dinner!!" Ash yelled back.
"PIKA PI-PIKA PIKACHU!!!" Pikachu called back down.
"Shock me with friendship!? That doesn't make any sense!!" Ash cried out.
Pikachu just laid on his belly on the branch and yawned. However, Ash's face contorted into a snarl as he dug his fingers into the tree firmly. Then, to Pikachu's shock, he began to climb after him. With a single scramble, he was able to grab his hat back from the fleeing Pikachu, who had to make a hasty retreat.
"Get back here!!" Ash screamed, before swinging through the branches like a Mankey after him.
Pikachu leapt and scurried from branch to branch, tree to tree. Trying desperately to stay ahead of his trainer. However, Ash was quickly closing the distance. Seeing this, Pikachu got an idea and scurried up near the top of a tall tree. Seeing this, Ash smirked.
"Hah! Got you cornered now, Pikachu!" Ash called out as he swung over to the trunk of the tree and began scaling the branches.
However, Ash's celebration got cut short as Pikachu's tail began to glow before taking on a metallic sheen. It was then that Ash immediately realized where this was going.
"Don't you dare!" Ash yelled to him.
"Chuuuuu… PIKA!!" Pikachu cried out before spinning and slamming his Iron Tail against the trunk of the tree.
With frightening ease, the attack cleaved through the tree before him. With a thunderous crash, the tree settled on the forest floor in a heap, leaving a new opening in the canopy. Ash stopped and looked in awe at what he had just witnessed. As Pikachu landed on the severed tree trunk with a smug look on his face.
"Wow…" Ash muttered, stunned.
"Pika." Pikachu replied smugly with a smirk.
"You seriously think we have a chance?" Ash asked hopefully.
"Pikachu." Pikachu replied confidently.
Ash then let out a deep sigh, before letting out his hand. "Fine. Now can I please have my hat back?" He asked.
Pikachu nodded before taking his trainer's hat off his head and holding it out for him to take it. Soon Ash took it and put it back on his head. As soon as he finished, he looked up to see dark clouds coming through the hole in the canopy.
"We should head back. That storm looks close. It must have snuck up on us." Ash said with a hint of concern.
"Pikachu." Pikachu replied with equal concern.
"Well, at least you're not blaming me for that." Ash said with a sigh as he turned to leave.
Pikachu simply scurried up onto Ash's shoulder and gently nuzzled him. This did get a small smile out of Ash. However, he soon took a few steps forward, not really paying attention to where he was going, and walked face first into a hollow tree. The echo of the impact rang up the tree like a chorus of drums. Then they heard a loud buzzing noise coming from the top of the tree.
"Pikachu… do I want to look up?" Ash asked as he rubbed his face, a bad feeling forming.
Pikachu simply turned pale and shook his head.
"Bee Beedrill!!" A harsh cacophony shrieked from the forest canopy, followed by a tide of buzzing.
"Run for it, Pikachu!!" Ash shrieked, throwing him forward off his shoulder as the two made a break for it.
Back with Gary, Lillie, and Isaac
"Now then… what have we learned?" Lillie asked, holding a comically large wooden mallet.
"Don't fight over silly differences…" Isaac and Gary replied, both with large bandages over their heads that Blaze and Snowy were applying.
"Aaaand?" Lillie asked, raising an eyebrow.
"There's an and?" Gary asked.
Lillie simply hefted the wooden mallet threateningly.
"Friends shouldn't fight while trying to cheer up a friend!" Gary rapidly replied in a panic.
Lillie smiled. "Very good." She replied before dropping the wooden mallet to the ground.
"Remind me not to piss her off again." Gary whispered to Isaac.
"Agreed…" Isaac whispered back.
"Now then. Let's go find Ash and Pikachu." Lillie said.
"Kids! What are you all still doing out here!?" Cried out the voice of Professor Oak.
"Ya wouldn't believe us if we told ya, Gramps…" Gary replied as they turned to look at the approaching professor.
"Where's Ash? We all need to get out of the coming storm." Professor Oak asked, looking around.
"That's what we're trying to find out! He and Pikachu ran off while these two were being stupid!" Lillie replied worriedly.
"Alright. Time to get serious then." Professor Oak said as he pulled a Pokéball off his belt. "Go, Char!"
Before them in a flash of light stood a tall, bipedal Pokémon with bright orange scales and a round, cream colored stomach. It was reptilian and draconic in form, with two large blue wings stretching out wider than a man was tall. A long neck arched over them with a rectangular skull, with two orange scaled horns reaching back. At the end of a long, snaking tail was a roaring flame, burning at the tip with a fierce blue crowning a bonfire of orange and red flames.
"A Charizard!! It's my first time seeing one!!" Isaac called out in joy, pulling a Rotomdex out of his backpack. "Do your thing, Sparks!" He told the Rotom in the Rotomdex.
Soon the Pokédex unfolded and began to float, as comical eyes and a mouth with a timid expression appeared on the screen before speaking. "Y-Yes sir, Isaac. Charizard, the Flame Pokémon, and the final evolution of Charmander. Ch-Charizard's tail flames burn hotter if they have experienced fierce b-battles. T-their flames are h-hot enough t-to melt stone… please don't melt me…" Sparks explained.
"Call me old fashioned, but I think we've gone too far with technology." Gary chipped in snidely.
"Is that a Rotomdex?" Professor Oak asked, clearly fascinated.
"Yes, it is, Professor. My parents got it for me when I was ready to come to Ichigo Academy." Isaac explained.
"Can we all focus here?" Lillie asked concernedly.
"Right. Sorry. Sparks, can you pop out of the Rotomdex and help search for Ash and Pikachu?" Isaac asked the Rotom inside his Pokédex.
"M-Me?" Sparks asked. "B-But sir… I'm not a battler…"
"We don't need you to battle, Sparks. We just need help looking. And, due to you being an Electric/Ghost Type, you can zip around faster outside of your Rotomdex than Char can fly. Please?" Isaac replied, a pleading look on his face.
The Charizard turned to look at Sparks, its gaze landing squarely on the small, delicate creature. With a gulp, soon the Pokédex fell into Isaac's hands, leaving a small orange top like creature floating there with jagged electricity coming off it.
"Char. Take the skies for us to try and find them. We have to hurry!" Oak explained.
"Char!" The mighty Fire Type replied with a nod, before launching into the air with a single flap of its wings.
"Sparks, scout around the forest. If you find them, come back, pop back into the Rotomdex, and show us where to go." Isaac told the Rotom.
Sparks nodded, with a noise coming from them no longer as speech, but like electrical static. Soon they zipped off, with the group left hoping that one of the two would find their friends in time.
Back with Ash and Pikachu
"Run faster, Pikachu! They're gaining on us!" Ash called out frantically as he and his partner kept running.
"Pika Pika CHHUUUU!!!" Pikachu shrieked, as if in pain from all the running.
"Interlopers! Interlopers!!" Chanted the Beedrill.
"I really need to go on a diet if we survive this!" Pikachu shrieked out in terror.
However, just as they were about to reach the edge of the forest, disaster struck. Ash, without looking properly where he was going, caught his foot on a thick grape vine. Then, with a great crash, he fell flat on his face. Right as the Beedrill were closing in. Pikachu stopped at the edge of the forest and looked back in horror at the sight.
His mind immediately flashed back to the day of the Spearow attack. Him and Caterpie rushing into the stump before Ash used his body as a shield to cover the hole… The memory of their trainer screaming in pain as he and Caterpie cowered in fear… the sound of tearing fabric and skin being slashed as the Spearows pecked and clawed at Ash's back with their beaks and talons… the sight of Ash's scarred back after it was over… No! He could not and would not let that happen again!!
Rushing back, Pikachu broke into a sprint back towards his trainer. Ash groaned as he slowly got up, as the first Beedrill readied its stinger to stick him. However, right as it nearly completed its dive, Pikachu leapt in the way, hitting it away with a Quick Attack. He soon landed and stood between his trainer and the swarm.
"Pikachu!? Get out of here!" Ash cried out protectively.
Pikachu simply looked back at Ash, a protective flame of determination burning in the Electric Mouse's eyes before he turned back to face the swarm. Large sparks of electricity danced off his cheek pouches as he refused to back down. This time, he would protect Ash. As the two sides stood at a knife's edge, waiting for the first move, they all began to feel drops of rain pattering around them. The storm had finally arrived.
"Last chance, rat." The Foremost Beedrill buzzed. Its dart-like arms thrusting into the air menacingly.
"You won't touch him! None of you will! Not while I'm still breathing!" Pikachu yelled back, sparks dancing off his cheek pouches.
"Well then. Rattle 'em, boys!!" The Foremost Beedrill yelled, before they all began to shoot a tide of Poison String.
"Thunder Shock!" Pikachu called out, unleashing a blast of yellow electricity in response to the tide of poison needles.
The two attacks collided, exploding in midair. However, Pikachu's Thunder Shock went through the smoke and electrocuted the lead Beedrill. Damaged but far from beaten, the Foremost Beedrill glared at the Electric Mouse with fury in his eyes.
"Big mistake, rat! Take 'em down, boys! Fury Attack assault!!" The Lead Beedrill yelled as the Beedrill all rushed at Pikachu.
Pikachu stared ahead in Grimm determination. He knew he couldn't beat all of them… but he had to try. It was then that the boom of thunder and flash of lightning sounded, casting the Beedrill in shadows. Seeing that, Pikachu looked up at the sky to see thunder and lightning streaking across the skies. Upon seeing this, Pikachu got an idea. A risky idea… but one that might work.
"Iron Tail!!" Pikachu called out, his tail glowing before taking on a metallic sheen.
"Bad move, rat! We're all part Poison Type!" The lead Beedrill called out viciously.
Pikachu smirked grimly. "It's not for you…!" He replied ominously before scurrying up a nearby tree.
Rushing up the tree, Pikachu leapt high into the air, raising his tail as far up as he could. As soon as he did, a bolt of blue lightning struck down on his tail, being absorbed into Pikachu's body. As a great, massive amount of electricity poured off him in droves, he smirked as the Beedrill rushed at him.
"EAT HOT THUNDER SHOCK, PUNKS!" Pikachu roared out before a massive amount of yellow electricity shot out of him in a spherical blast.
"Oh, Bug Buzz…" The foremost Beedrill said.
The blast of electricity hit the swarm of Beedrill, resulting in a massive electrical explosion. Soon, all of the Beedrill were dropping to the floor, unconscious. Those that remained standing, few those were, limped off. However, when Pikachu landed, he felt his feet wobble. And soon collapsed onto the forest floor, his cheeks sparking.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried out, rushing over to scoop his partner into his arms, using his body to shield him from the oncoming storm. "Talk to me Pikachu! You okay!?"
Pikachu slowly opened his eyes, giving Ash a weak smile and giving the "V for victory" peace sign. Ash soon smiled and hugged him close, his back quickly getting soaked from the storm. However, just as Ash began to hunker down to wait out the storm, he felt the wind die down. And soon, the rain began to slow into a gentle drizzle, before finally stopping. Then he felt the soft warmth of sunlight on him. Slowly Ash stood up and looked around. All around him he saw carnage and destruction. Entire lines were cut into the forest, destroying and damaging trees by the dozen. Yet, when he and Pikachu looked up, their jaws dropped at what he saw.
Amidst the glowing sunlight that pierced the clouds and sent them in retreat was a large bird Pokémon flying far above. At first, he thought it was a large Fearow, due to its long neck, beak, and impressive head plumage. Yet, as he looked at it more flying by, it was far larger than any Fearow, even an alpha, that he had ever seen. Its plumage was a golden color across its main body and head, with a white stomach and head plumage. Its tail came out like a great bushy fan trailing behind it, as it left vaporizing dew in its wake, creating a rainbow effect. Yet, as it flew away, a golden feather landed nearby. Ash soon went over and picked it up to examine it.
"Who was that Pokémon?" Ash muttered to himself.
Pikachu weakly shrugged before nestling into Ash's arms, slowly nodding off to sleep. Ash smiled and put the feather into his coat pocket before walking out to the forest edge. As soon as he reached it, he saw his friends and Professor Oak running towards him.
"Hey, guys!" Ash cried out as he waved to them.
"Ketchum, what happened!? What was that explosion!?" Isaac called out in concern.
"That was Pikachu saving me from some Beedrill." Ash explained with a smile as he looked down at his sleeping partner.
"Some Beedrill!? Explain! NOW!" Lillie called out in concern.
"Vulpix! Vul!" Snowy cried out, clearly copying Lillie.
"I accidentally disturbed some Beedrill and they chased us. I tripped and fell, but Pikachu came to rescue me. And shocked all the Beedrill in the process." Ash explained with a big smile.
"No way! No Pikachu could have that kinda power!!" Isaac replied in disbelief.
"Well, he's full of surprises. After that, I saw big golden bird Pokémon in the sky that stopped the storm, and now I'm here." Ash explained, pulling out the feather from his coat pocket.
"Fascinating. Ash, would you mind if I borrow that feather for study?" Professor Oak said as he looked it over.
"Of course, Professor." Ash said, gently handing it to him.
"Well, we are all glad you're safe, Ash. Let's all return to the lab. Just in case the storm comes back." Professor Oak said.
"Sounds like a great idea, gramps. Let's go, everyone." Gary explained.
As they all began the walk back to the lab, Ash kept his eye on the sky. He didn't know what he saw, but it made him smile when he remembered. Something about seeing it lifted his spirits. And gave him something he hadn't had since the loss with Brock. Hope. It was fleeting, but maybe it was enough to try again…