Chapter Six

"A feisty one, isn't he?" The nurse said with a chuckle, moving her fingers away as the open beak snapped towards them. "Typical of the Spearow species though. This one seems to be pretty tolerant of humans, so I'm guessing you caught him here in the city?"

"Yep!" Aoi chirped happily, looking down at her newest Pokemon. "His name is Shou, and he's the first Pokemon I've ever caught."

"And probably the poorest choice for a first capture," Forrest muttered, foot tapping impatiently as he waited for his own Pokemon.

"He's a big sweetheart under all these grumpy feathers," Aoi insisted, reaching out to stroke Shou, but his beak opened up in warning, puffing his feathers up.

"Best you don't approach from overhead with wild Pokemon," the nurse said, guiding Aoi's hand towards the Spearow's belly instead. "They're less likely to feel like they're being attacked this way, and it gives them the choice if they want contact with you or not."

She brushed Aoi's hand against Shou's belly, and with a huff the flying type stepped up onto her hand. Aoi let out an excited squeak at this, even as she winced as the sharp talons dug into her skin. He clicked his beak together unhappily, before hopping his way up her shoulder. He paused there for a moment, before opening up his wings and landing on her head. This earned a laugh from the young trainer as he settled on his new perch, and the Spearow glared out at those in the Pokemon Center.

"Flying types often prefer the highest point they can get," the nurse said with a smile. "Though you probably want to train them to stay on your hand or shoulder. We have some pamphlets near the door about various kinds of Pokemon, you'll probably want to take a look at the one about bird Pokemon and their care–"

"Got it!" Aoi cried, bolting from the counter and over towards the stand the nurse had gestured to. Shou let out a displeased squawk, talons digging into dark brown hair to keep his balance.

"Um, your Bulbasaur and Pokeballs...?" The nurse said uncertainly, glancing at the grass type Aoi had needed to pick up as well. Haru shrugged, nestling down next to the two red spheres.

"She'll be back as soon as she gets bored," Forrest said, stepping forward. "What about my Pokemon?"

The nurse scooped up his three Pokeballs, releasing the Pokemon inside with several bright bursts of red light. His green eyes scanned them, before giving a small satisfied nod of the state they were in. None of them had been seriously hurt when he had brought them into the Center, but they looked much better than before, fresh and ready for battle. His eyes immediately fell onto his most recent capture, a large Pidgey he had seen as a prize to catch. And this one hadn't included any accidental captures like with the Rattata. The flying type was watching him closely, and while not full on ready to attack the first thing that moved like Shou had been, it lacked the flighty flinches its species was known for.

"Your Pidgey should be interesting for you to raise," the nurse said. "They're typically easy to train, but the one you caught is fairly close to evolution– see the red feathers starting to come in on the crest and tailfeathers? This might lead to some authority issues with it between you and your other Pokemon, as Pidgeottos tend to take the lead of their flock once they evolve. Firm training will be all you need though."

Forrest smirked. "In other words he's about to become even stronger? Sounds perfect to me. Welcome to the team... Peter."

The newly named Peter tilted his head, looking interested.

"As for your Squirtle, she's doing just fine," the nurse continued, stroking the top of Shelly's head, causing her to close her eyes. "The scratches on her head shouldn't scar, and should probably fade within a week. Your Rattata was in pretty much pristine condition, though a bit thin like you see in most wild Pokemon."

"Cool," Forrest said, holding out his hands for his Pokeballs. He didn't care too much about the Rattata– just as long as it was healthy there was nothing to worry about. He had no intentions of using Ron in battle, but yet as it was his first capture he wasn't too keen on releasing him. "Can we get two rooms for the night?"

"Of course," the nurse said, passing him his three Pokeballs. He returned Ron and Peter to the spheres, while Shelly hopped onto his shoulder, tail wrapping around his upper arm. Haru wandered near the edge, looking off at his trainer, who was bounding back towards them.

"Did you know a Spearow can nearly match speeds with a Pidgeotto?" Aoi said with a grin, pamphlet in hand. "And despite their small size they have the same attack power as one? That means Shou won't even hafta evolve to match your Pidgey once he does!"

He rolled his eyes. "Except for Pidgeottos have much more endurance, meaning they can actually last in a fight. And once they're fully evolved Pidgeot has much more balanced traits, making it the better option in battle."

"Endurance doesn't matter if you can knock everything out before they hit you," Aoi said with a grin.

"Whatever. Just grab your Pokeballs and the key for your room," Forrest growled, reaching for one of two keys the nurse was offering them. "It's late enough as it is, and we should get an early start tomorrow."

Despite this Aoi took her sweet time with gathering up her things, cooing goodnight to Shou before recalling him to a Pokeball, and planting a kiss on Haru's forehead as she scooped him up. By the time she actually got around to accepting the room key the bell rang by the door as someone else entered the Pokemon Center, and Forrest had to drag her away so the counter would be clear.

"Hello there Abigail," a man said, a slight purr in his voice as he leaned up against the counter. "I hope it's not too late for a little checkup on a Pokemon?"

The nurse flushed, sitting up a little straighter. "Proton! It's always wonderful to see you– how's everything at the gym?"

"Pretty good," he held up an Ultra ball. "Except for the gym's Dugtrio pissed off the wrong Sandslash, and now she's got a spike lodged in her left head. Didn't dare take it out myself."

The nurse carefully took the black ball from Proton. "Don't worry, I'll take a look at her right away. What about the other gym Pokemon? They're all in good shape? Maybe I could look over a few of them tomorrow."

Proton smirked. "They're doing good, but I can stop by if you miss me that much."

Forrest's eyes narrowed, looking at the tealed-hair man. "I thought the gym was closed?"

An annoyed gaze flashed towards him. "It is, with the boss out of town. I'm just keeping things running smoothly."

"Aren't you qualified to hold gym battles?" Forrest asked, crossing his arms. "Isn't that the whole point of a second-in-command with gyms? To take over matches when the gym leader can't?"

He snorted. "Giovanni likes to handle his own battles. I wouldn't bother waiting around for him either, head up to Pewter and waste another gym leader's time."

"More like you don't want to see your precious gym leader get swept," Forrest replied, a smirk tugging at his lips when he saw a flash of anger in Proton's eyes.

"If you think type advantage will win you a match," he said slowly, looking at Shelly in distaste. "Then trust me, kid, you ain't ready for the gym circuit."

"Well–"

"That's enough, boys," the nurse said, stepping in before the banter could escalate, laying a hand on Proton's arm. "Why don't you and your friend retire for the night? If you plan on going through Viridian Forest you'll want all the daylight you can get, afterall."

"Come on, Aoi," Forrest said, flashing them a grin. "The gym trainer here needs to hide behind his girlfriend because his gym leader isn't here to handle battles for him."

"Why you little–"

"What about Red?" Aoi asked, causing Forrest to stop and Proton to fall quiet. "Shouldn't we go looking for him? We haven't seen him at all since this morning!"

"He's the one that decided to wander off," Forrest said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not delaying my journey looking for him, I'm sure he'll be fine on his own."

"But he's hurt!"

"He lasted this long," Forrest replied, heading towards the hallway that housed the rooms for trainers, but Aoi didn't follow him. She just stood there in the lobby looking worried, her Bulbsaur's expression mirroring hers.

"Not to interrupt, but may I ask who you're talking about?" Proton asked, eyes locking on Aoi.

"Our friend Red!" Aoi said, turning to face him. "Have you seen him, by chance? He's about our age, with black hair, and he doesn't talk much–"

She was cut off by Forrest, who's fingers closed around her wrist, dragging her away from the man. She let out a yelp of surprise, stumbling a few steps to regain her balance. She stared at Forrest in surprise as she was dragged towards the rooms, not even finding time to protest. He gritted his teeth as Proton said something, but he could care less. In fact, he normally wouldn't care about what Aoi did, but something in the man's gaze didn't settle right with him. He was showing too much interest in what she was saying for a stranger, and he hadn't liked it one bit.

"What was that for?"

"I... don't trust him," he replied, stopping outside of her room. She glowered at him, and he sighed. "Look, we'll look for Red tomorrow, okay? When we're rested and it's light out. Besides, we can message Red on the Pokedex if all else fails."

"But–"

"He has Charmander with him, so it's not like he's going to freeze."

"Forrest–"

"Aoi, please?" Forrest asked, and it looked as if it physically pained him to say that. "It's dark, we don't know this town, that guy's weird– and Red is just as much of a stranger to us as everyone else is. We'll look tomorrow, okay?"

"...Fine," Aoi said after a moment, her arms tightening around Haru. "But I'm messaging Red tonight and telling him where we are."

"Okay," Forrest said, fingers tracing the key to his room, and he stepped towards his door. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Goodnight!" She chirped, beaming at him as if she hadn't even been upset a moment ago.

She slipped into her room, and Forrest waited until he heard her lock click before opening his door. He glanced down the hall, where Proton was chatting it up with the nurse. He seemed invested in their conversation, but that didn't stop his gaze from flickering down towards where Forrest was standing. He gave the man the best sneer he could muster, before heading into the room they had rented out. It was small, but Shelly hopped off of his shoulder and onto the bed with no complaint, looking up at him curiously.

He sighed, sitting on the bed next to her. He most certainly didn't want to play babysitter with Aoi their whole journey, but he was more than willing to keep an eye on things as needed.


Aiden didn't understand why they didn't stop in town.

The weird ghost-lady had said too, and Red clearly had been listening to her words– yet he had skirted the path to Viridian City, and had headed straight for the towering forest that had laid beyond it. They had made fairly good progress through the woods, with the trees growing so close together that the trail was choked in shadows as sunset. But the path was worn, and with the flame on his tail they weren't left in darkness.

A majority of the Pokemon avoided them for the most part– the bug types watching his tail flame with wide eyes. As the day wore on they seemed to be settling in for the night, Pidgeys roosting in branches and bug types worming their way into tree hallows. Save for the occasional Oddish crossing their path or a Hoothoot keeping watch in a tree, the forest was still for the night as they pressed on.

"Mander..." Aiden sighed, flopping down on the ground when Red finally came to a stop. The dirt path was cool, and felt nice on his sore muscles.

Red carefully set his backpack on the ground, leaning his head back against it as he settled down next to him on the forest floor. Aiden sat up slightly as he watched his trainer close his eyes– was he planning on sleeping like that? That wasn't right, Aiden knew that humans usually had complicated nests, even when traveling. He scurried over towards him, shaking his shoulder, and a pair of crimson eyes slid open.

"Char," Aiden said. Humans weren't fire types– he'd get cold! He knew that, didn't he? He should... but Red seemed to not know everything about humans despite being one. "Mander..."

Fortunately, he was a fire type, and he climbed onto his trainer's chest. He curled up, careful to keep his claws from digging into his shirt as he settled down, wrapping his tail around himself. Aiden let out a yawn, before looking at Red with a rumble coming from his throat. His human blinked at him for a moment, before closing his eyes once more.

Content, the Charmander did the same.


Aiden awoke to the sound of scurrying.

The Charmander lifted his head up, smacking his lips as a yawn formed. Blue eyes stared out into the forest around them, but he could only see as far as his tail flame lit up, everything draped in the darkness of the night.

He pushed himself to his feet, hoping off of Red, holding his tail high as he tried to get a better look at their surroundings. Shadows danced in the firelight, silence meeting his gaze. Charmander tilted his head, before looking back at his human. Red was curled up, one hand draped across his stomach, while his injured one was laying carefully at his side. Goosebumps were visible on his arms, but the chill in the air didn't seem to bother him, but still Aiden moved closer to him once more.

Then he heard it again, the sound of something rustling in the grass, and he turned once more, claws curling slightly. A small flash of light caught his attention to his left, and he went down on all fours as he went into a defensive stance, teeth bared. He saw the sparks once more, and the blur of something moving right towards him.

A streak of white slammed into him, causing him to stumble to keep his balance. A small growl rattled his throat as he lifted his gaze to look at his attacker, studying the golden creature in front of him.

Short yellow fur covered her entire slender body, a cold coppery gaze watching him. Her jagged tail was held high, three black stripes running down her back. Bright red cheeks sparked with electricity, her whole body glowing white as she charged at him with a Quick Attack once more.

This time Aiden was able to brace himself, his own claws sheening as he lashed out with a Scratch. His size gave him the advantage, able to knock her away even as her attack slammed into him. He opened his mouth, the back of it glowing as he released an Ember at her before she could recover.

She was still glowing with the energy of the Quick Attack though, pushing off to avoid the burst of flames by mere inches. The Pikachu glowered at him, tail lashing, and more sparks rolled off of her cheeks.

"Chu!" She cried, whole body lighting up as she fired a Thunder Shock right at him.

"Ch-char," Aiden gritted his teeth, pain pulsing through his body as he was hit by the electrical attack, only for it to be followed up by another Quick Attack. The Charmander let out a slight groan, but forced himself back to his feet. The Pikachu was zipping away, turning to face him once more, sparking.

"Pika."

"Mander," he growled, a crackling blue energy forming around his claws. It surged up, the misty light dancing about him. He could feel the power pulsing through his muscles, the Dragon Dance fueling him as he darted forward once more, claws gleaming with a Scratch.

He pounced right on top of the Pikachu, his claws digging into her side. She writhed under him, but he refused to let her escape. She had attacked him without warning– and he knew that he couldn't let her get near his sleeping human. He fired a close-ranged Ember at the back of her neck, and she retaliated with a Thunder Shock.

The electricity pulsed through him, loosening his grip enough to allow her to slink through. She spun around to face him, more electricity crackling about her. But instead of it being released into a Thunder Shock it began to build up, running down her fur and across her paws. Aiden stood his ground, even as the Pikachu became surrounded in a veil of lightning.

"Pika... pika...!" She seemed to be struggling to contain the surge of electricity, lighting up the surrounding area as sparks flew off of her. Ears back she came charging right at him, a static filling the air as she ran.

A sphere soared over Aiden's head, hitting the Pikachu square in the back, opening up with a burst of red light. The mouse let out a startled cry as she was turned into a wave of energy, being drawn inside the Pokeball. It snapped shut, falling to the ground, shaking violently on the forest floor. The Charmander turned, and found that his human was now wide awake, backpack pulled into his lap, face pale.

"Chu!" The Pokeball burst open, two halves of the sphere flying in opposite directions. Pikachu was panting, fur raised as she glowered at them, and she rushed forward with a Quick Attack.

Aiden raced forward to meet her, swinging his long tail around to knock her away. Another Pokeball was hurled in her direction as she prepared another Thunder Shock, though this one missed both of them, flying over their heads and rolling off into the underbrush. The Charmander grappled with the mouse, trying to wrestle her to the ground, but her slender form allowed her to easily slip through his grasp. He tensed up as he was hit with another Thunder Shock, a mewl of pain slipping out of his jaws, and she whipped her tail around so it slammed right into his nose.

The Pikachu reared up onto her hind legs, ears up and alert– only for a third Pokeball to be chucked at her. She let out a snarl of frustration as it hit the top of her head, snapping open as it drew her in once more. Aiden took the opportunity to recompose himself, an Ember forming in his throat as he took up a battle stance in front of the shaking Pokeball, ready to attack the moment it burst open once more.

The Pokeball went still, the button on the front flashing, before it settled with a click.

Silence filled the forest, and Aiden perked up slightly, realizing just what had happened. His human had caught a Pokemon– they had got their first teammate! He turned to face Red happily, and though his muscles were sore from the electric attacks he still quivered in excitement, bounding towards him.

"Char!" The Charmander sang, pouncing into his lap. He looked up at Red, only to pause as he realized his human looked off. His skin was pale– much paler than usual, and you could see the whites of his eyes with how wide they were. There was a slight tremble in his limbs, and he sagged back against a tree as he took in short breaths.

Fear was coming off of the human, but for once Aiden didn't sense it himself. He frowned, trying to find the connection to Red in his heart, but it was as if it had been cut off. Aiden whimpered in confusion, nudging him in hopes of getting a response, but instead he found himself being drawn into a tight embrace. Nothing about it was comforting, only a desperation to it, but he let Red hold him.

After a time his grip became uncomfortable, so he slipped out of it. He sat on Red's knee, wondering how to make him feel better. He turned and looked at the Pokeball on the path, and hurried towards it, carefully picking it up in his claws. He proudly brought it back towards Red, showing off their first capture, but instead Red had drawn his knees up to his head.

"Char..." Aiden said, placing the Pokeball on top of his knees. Red grabbed it– then chucked it into the forest as hard as he could.

Enthralled by the sudden movement the Charmander hurried after it, grabbing it in his mouth before bounding back over towards Red. He pulled away from him as he brought the Pokeball close, and he dropped it into his lab. His human picked it up– before throwing it off into the woods once more.

Aiden had to search the grass and underbrush this time to find it, cradling it close to his body as he brought it back to Red. He seemed to have calmed down somewhat, breathing normal once more, but his eyes were staring at the Pokeball uncertainly. Aiden hesitated, didn't Red understand you didn't throw Pokeballs once you caught something in them? Was this something else he didn't know?

Then suddenly Red's dark eyes brightened to a scarlet, and Aiden felt his connection with the human return with a surge. He stumbled back as an array of emotions pulsed through him.

Fear. Danger. Cornered. Attacked.

His limbs ached as if they were being hit by another Thunder Shock. His jaw locked up, and his neck felt as if something were clamping down on it. Aiden let out a whimper, but the sensation faded as quickly as it came, just a moment of the feeling– yet it had been so clear. He glanced back at Red, whose bright eyes were fading back to crimson as he blinked away forming tears.

Aiden looked at the Pokeball in his claws, before carefully moving over towards the backpack and slipping it inside. Red seemed to relax in the slightest, and didn't protest as the Charmander crawled into his lap. He rubbed his head against his chest, letting out small comforting rumbles as the night carried on.


It feels so nice to be writing some of these characters again. Oh how I've missed you Shou and sassy Pikachu.

Also, I'm going to be uploading this story on my ao3 account as well, under the same username and title.