Author's Note: A lot of people spend their time describing characters in their fan fiction. Honestly, I don't see why, considering the expected audience. Everyone reading a Pokemon fan fiction will know what the main characters look like. If I introduce some OC, or modify a canon character, I will describe them. Otherwise, use the canon appearance in your mind.

Also, I will be updating this every month, maybe more depending on how inspired I am.

The Start of a New Journey

Ash Ketchum sat on his bed, eagerly watching the television. Colors flashed in rapid motions across the screen, showing off a battle that had taken place in the previous Indigo League. Two poison types clashed, throwing attack after attack at each other. The Nidorino snarled, attempting to impale Gengar. The Gengar continued to evade it's attacks, wearing a Cheshire grin as it played with the violent Nidorino. It was clear who controlled the ongoing conflict.

The camera zoomed to the trainer who controlled the Gengar.

"Gengar, use Hypnosis." The trainer called out. Before the opposing trainer could counter this, the ghost was already putting Nidorino into a deep slumber.

"Nidorino, return!" The opposing trainer called out, not wanting to let Gengar to heal what little damage it had taken using Dream Eater. "Go, Onix."

A massive rock snake coiled out, lashing at the Gengar almost immediately. The Gengar managed to jump to the side, it's massive grin unmoving.

Ash clenched his fists, knowing the battle was heating up. He already knew who the winner would be, having already seen other matches from the tournament, and knowing that this was one of the matches that had marked Bruno's ascension to the Elite Four. But even with that knowledge, Ash couldn't help but feel surprised and awed by the way Bruno battled, or how his Onix suddenly swept it's tail, knocking out the troublesome Gengar almost immediately.

"Ash Satoshi Ketchum, what are you doing up at this late hour." His mother demanded, having just appeared at the doorway to his bedroom.

"I can't sleep mom, I'm just so excited to be starting my Pokemon journey tomorrow." Ash replied, shivering in excitement from the simple statement.

"Well, if you are going to be staying up, you might as well watch something educational." She replied back, grabbing the remote to the TV. She changed the channel, changing the scene of a brutal knock-down fight between Pokemon into a lecture by Professor Oak.

"And don't you stay up past midnight. You'll need your sleep for your journey." And with that, Ash's mother left.

Ash sighed and settled in to watch the lecture. He could switch it back, but he was unwilling to go against his mothers wishes, having learned her massive temper to the point of non-resistance.

"The three Pokemon, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle are the commonly offered starters in the Kanto Region. For trainers in Kanto who are starting tomorrow, these will be the Pokemon offered to them. Once-" Oak's voice was suddenly cut off when Ash shut off the T.V. Ash sighed and flopped down on the bed.

He was excited to be starting his journey tomorrow, having dreamed of the day when he was 16, and then once he had turned 16 dreamed of the day he could start out as a trainer. However, even through all that time and anticipation, he still couldn't make up his mind on which starter Pokemon he wanted.

Ash gradually fell asleep, but was still torn over which Pokemon he would choose. Whichever one he went with would have to be a good match for him, considering he would be stuck with that Pokemon for the rest of his, or it's life.

Charmander's a powerhouse, but he's only good as an attacker, Ash thought to himself in his sleep, seeing images of the fire lizard in his mind.

Squirtle is a tank, and can hit hard from afar or up close. But it's slow. Ash turned over, imagining the turtle withdrawing into it's shell, having seen this tactic in an older rerun of an Indigo League match.

Bulbasaur is good for wearing down opponents by poisoning or paralyzing them, and then finishing them off with long distance moves. Ash snored, seeing the Pokemon spew sludge and powder everywhere.

Ash's sleep was uneven the entire night, his mind in a constant state of semi-lucidity. This, combined with the fact that he had gone to bed around eleven led him to not hear his alarm clock go off, either the first, second or third time.

"Ash, are you still in bed?" Delia exclaimed, prompting Ash to suddenly shoot up in panic.

"Oh no, I'm going to be late!" Ash proclaimed, rushing to grab his stuff. "Mom, I'm going to go in my pajamas, I'll change later." Delia simply shook her head, watching as Ash ran out the door.

Ash stopped running when he reached the entrance to Professor Oak's lab. Glancing upward from his heavy breathing, he noticed a small crowd had formed out front, which were currently cheering. With a jolt, he realized that the crowd was there to cheer for Pallet's finest.

Ash looked on as a brunette woman exited the lab. She wore a wide-brimmed hat, covering part of her long hair. She was dressed in a simple outfit, a t-shirt and a skirt. She looked as if she had just stepped out from a modeling agency gig for trainer gear. Knowing Leaf, Ash knew that this was a possibility had Leaf ever been interested.

"You watch! I'm going to become a Pokemon master!" Leaf yelled at the top of her lungs, walking through the crowd with a pokeball in her hand. She glanced over at Ash for the briefest moment, and then turned away, a smirk on her face. In her eyes, he was beneath her.

Ever since they had been kids, Leaf and Ash had maintained a constant relationship. Leaf had been a bitch, and Ash had been her bitch. She had always looked great, performed well in almost any endeavor she pursued, and was not afraid to use it to crush people that she didn't like. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Ash was one of these people.

And it wasn't like there was much Ash could do. Leaf deployed veiled criticisms of him whenever they met publicly, and would perform more honest "critiques" in private. Due to her successes, and Ash's failures in almost anything he pursued, people tended to take her more seriously. Only Ash's mom truly knew what Leaf was like.

A cheer went through the crowd again as Gary stepped out, holding a pokeball high above his head.

"People of Pallet Town, with this Pokemon I shall put our town on the map. I'll be the next Pokemon Master, just you watch!" Gary said, making his way through the crowd to his car. Gary glanced over at Ash as he walked past, nodding in his direction.

"Good luck Ashie-boy." Gary said condescendingly. Ash clinched his fists. Ever since Gary had become smitten over Leaf, he had stopped being friendly with Ash. He wasn't as cruel as Leaf, but he wasn't nice, that was for sure. Ash watched as Gary revved his car's engine and sped off.

"Later Gare-bear." Ash muttered, more to himself than anyone else. Ash walked through the rapidly-dispersing crowd, thinking to himself.

Gary has wanted a Squirtle for forever, so that won't be an option, unless Oak has a spare. Ash pushed open the door to the lab. Considering how rare Squirtle are, I doubt that.

"Hey Ash." An assistant to Professor Oak said, looking up from his paperwork.

"Hey." Ash said. "Where's Professor Oak?"

"The Professor is in the transfer room, talking with another beginning trainer." The assistant said, looking sympathetically at Ash. Instantly, Ash felt ten degrees colder.

All the starter Pokemon will be gone...

Ash suddenly ran into the room, trying to stop himself from panicking. This had been his chance, his opportunity to get out of Pallet, become a trainer, and show that he could be good at something. It had been his chance to get an actual friend. But by the sound of it, he wouldn't be getting any of this for another week or two. Waiting any longer seemed impossible for Ash to bear.

Ash burst into the room, surprising Oak and a blonde woman standing next to him. The blonde woman was strikingly pale, with long hair. She wore a plain black t-shirt that blended in with her black dress pants and black shoes. Somehow, she made it all fit, looking fine in it.

"Oh, hey Ash. I suppose you are here for your Pokemon." Oak said, scratching the back of his head, a deep feeling of sympathy crossing his face. It really wasn't fair, Oak thought to himself. If anything, Ash was the most excited about his journey. It was a shame he would have to wait another week or two.

"They are all gone, aren't they." Ash said. It was a statement of fact rather than a question. Oak nodded grimly.

"I'm afraid so." Oak said quietly, shifting awkwardly. He had wanted to save a Pokemon for Ash, since Ash had spent years helping out in his ranch watching over the Pokemon, but Oak was required to give a Pokemon to a starting trainer, and this woman had come first. And even though Oak had ordered another Pokemon in anticipation of the four trainers, there had been a mix-up in the delivery.

"Is there any spare Pokemon professor, any?" Ash asked desperately, struggling to control himself. The woman looked awkwardly, starting to feel guilty about having taken the Charmander, the last starter available.

"Well... there is one. But it's savage. I caught it chewing on some electrical wires outside the lab. It was one heck of a fight to catch it." Oak said before he could stop himself.

"I'll take it!" Ash said confidently. Oak sighed.

"Very well, but let's take it outside first. The technology in here is too expensive to risk." Oak said, handing Ash a pokeball that had been sitting on a table. They went outside, the woman still following Ash and Oak.

"It's a Pikachu." Oak said simply, waving his hand in a go motion. Ash understood the signal and sent Pikachu out.

Light unfolded out of the pokeball, shaping itself into a Pikachu. The Pikachu looked at Oak and Ash and started to growl.

"Oh, he's so cute." Ash said endearingly, picking up Pikachu.

"Uh, Ash-" Oak started to say when the Pikachu interrupted with a slight squeak. Oak's jaw dropped as Ash massaged behind the Pikachu's ears.

"You just needed someone to comfort you, didn't you Pikachu?" Ash said, continuing his petting of the electric mouse.

"Incredible, I was beginning to think that this Pikachu hated humans." Oak said to Ash, watching the boy take out a treat and feed it to the Pikachu. Oak recovered from the surprise and went back into his lab to grab a pokedex and pokeballs for Ash.

Ash continued to pet the Pikachu as Oak went back into the lab. He didn't notice the woman walking up to Ash until she spoke.

"Um, hello." She said, forcing out the words. Ash looked up at her.

"Hello. So you're starting out as a trainer too?" Ash asked. The woman nodded.

"I am." She said awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Ash immediately noticed that she was unwilling to respond in long sentences.

"Meowth got your tongue?" Ash joked. The woman blushed. "Just joking. So I take it you have a Charmander?"

"How did you know that?" The woman asked. Ash grinned.

"That other girl who came here for her Pokemon today. Her name is Leaf, and while she wasn't busy being a jerk she was going on about how the only proper starter Pokemon for her was a Bulbasaur, due to her name. Gary, that boy talked on and on about how he wanted a Squirtle since he was 7. I would know, we used to be friends." Ash explained. The woman frowned.

"It sounds like there's no love lost between you and them." She said questioningly.

"You might say that." Ash said. An awkward silence ensued until Professor Oak came back outside, holding some pokeballs and a pokedex.

"I'm sure you know what these are Ash, you've seen me give starting trainers the basic equipment before." Oak said, handing him the devices. Ash nodded and put the items in his backpack, to put on his utility belt later. It was then that Oak noticed that the woman was still there.

"Cynthia, what are you doing here still?" Oak asked, confused. Cynthia blushed slightly.

"I'm sorry, I was just talking with Ash while he was waiting here." Cynthia said. Oak nodded.

"I see. Well Ash, Cynthia, good luck. Especially you, Ash. I've made a bet with Leaf's mother that you'll go further than her in the next Indigo League." Oak said. Ash grinned.

"Sure thing Professor." Ash said. He turned around and started heading back home. Cynthia paused for a moment and followed after him.

"Hey Ash, wait up." Cynthia requested, walking up beside him. Ash looked at her curiously.

"Yes?" Ash asked her as he put the Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Would it be okay... if I went along with you for a bit?" Cynthia asked him. Ash smiled widely.

"Sure! The more the merrier." Ash said cheerfully.

The pair continued walking down the road, exchanging minute details about each other. Ash had lived in Pallet all his life. He had always dreamed of being a Pokemon Master, even though there wasn't really any official title of such. He had never been good at a lot of stuff, but knowledge about Pokemon was one of the things he was good at.

Cynthia had lived in Sinnoh most of her life. She had come to Kanto and was starting her journey there because her grandparents were archeologists, and had been involved in a massive dig for the past few years. The dig was a massive exploration of ancient tombs around Lavender Town, one that had no foreseeable end. Thus, Cynthia was starting out her Pokemon journey in Kanto. She had chosen Pallet Town and Professor Oak to start her journey because, in her own words, "My family and Professor Oak are old friends."

Eventually, the pair made it to Ash's house.

"You can come in, I'm sure my mom would like to meet you before we go off. I need to change out of my pajamas." Ash said, opening the door for her to come in. She stepped inside awkwardly, standing by the doorway while Ash went upstairs to his room to get dressed.

Cynthia looked around around at the interior. It was a small house, relying more on the vertical nature of it's structure rather than it's base area to provide space. There were few rooms, each small. Whatever family lived there was small, or was extremely crowded.

Some footsteps awoke Cynthia from her examinations. She looked to her left to see a strange woman standing there, surprised to see this random trainer in her house.

"Excuse me, who are you?" Delia asked politely. Cynthia blushed.

"I'm Cynthia, I'm going to be going along with Ash to get badges." Cynthia said awkwardly. "I'm sorry if I am intruding, Ash invited me in." Delia smiled broadly.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Delia said, giving Cynthia a big hug. Cynthia stood their awkwardly, wondering whether or not this was Kanto custom. Delia, sensing Cynthia's discomfort detached herself.

"Sorry, it's just that..." Delia suddenly trailed off with that thought. Cynthia raised an eyebrow in concern.

"Just what? I won't have to babysit him, will I?" Cynthia asked, having met people who still acted like babies despite being trainers. Her grandmother would often refer to them as "little shits who shouldn't have a Bidoof, let alone an Infernape." They had served as encouragement for Cynthia, leading her to want to become a far better trainer than they would ever be.

"No, no, nothing like that! It's just that... Ash has always wanted to do good. He's scared me half to death sometimes." Delia said, carefully phrasing her words.

"What do you mean?" Cynthia asked, her curiosity overcoming her shyness.

"Well, he's always been a bit of a risk-taker. Once, Tauros were stampeding at Professor Oak's lab." Delia began. Cynthia frowned, knowing that a Tauros stampede was extremely difficult to put down. "Oak was out at the time giving a lecture, and he's really the only person in town who could- and can put down a Tauros stampede. He was a really powerful trainer back in the day- did you know that?" Delia said. Cynthia nodded. He had been more than just powerful- he had been a legend, a powerhouse before the Kanto League ever took off, 50 years ago. Nobody was sure quite how powerful he was compared to modern standards, but rumors abounded.

"Anyway, we could hear it all the way over here. Nobody was sure what would happen; whether or not the Tauros would destroy the town, kill Pokemon at Oak's ranch, or tear down the forests nearby." Delia said. Her face twisted into a deep frown. "I couldn't find Ash at the time. Suddenly, the Tauros stopped. None of the local trainers who had gone there trying to calm them down had come back yet, and they weren't responding to any calls. I volunteered to see what happened." Cynthia slowly began to realize what would happen next, even if she didn't know how Ash had done it. What came next still shocked her, however.

"Ash was riding Professor Oak's Charizard, and had blasted apart every Tauros. Each one was knocked unconscious, their fur still burning. Ash was just laughing and petting the Charizard. The trainers in town hadn't even had time to form a posse to put down the Tauros stampede. When I called for him, he just got off the Charizard and walked over like it was nothing." Delia finished. She smiled faintly, unable to help herself. "I'm sure he's going to be a great trainer."

Cynthia looked at Delia, her face twisted in disbelief. Charizards were prideful, obscenely so. It took a skilled trainer to command them, but Ash had commanded the dragon without even having his own Pokemon.

"Um, Miss..." Cynthia started to say.

"It's Delia Ketchum, you can call me Delia." Delia said in response. Cynthia nodded.

"How old was Ash when he did this?" Cynthia asked carefully.

"He was 9, almost ten at the time." Delia replied. Before Cynthia could appear anymore slack-jawed, Ash ran down the stairs. He was dressed for traveling, wearing his Pokemon League cap, a plain shirt, a light jacket, and some jeans. He was hurriedly putting on his backpack while Pikachu sat on top of his hat, waiting for Ash's shoulder to be free.

"Ok, I'm ready. Later mom!" Ash said, taking Cynthia's hand and pulling her out the house so that they could leave. Delia chuckled at them as Ash ran forward, dragging a surprised Cynthia behind him.

"Don't forget to change your underwear!" Delia shouted after Ash. Ash nearly tripped in embarrassment, while Cynthia broke out laughing.

A few minutes later, Ash was stumbling forward, panting as Cynthia caught up to him, having been released from his grip earlier.

"Pacing." Cynthia reminded Ash. Ash glared at her.

"Yeah, yeah." Ash said, straightening up, whilst still breathing hard. Cynthia shook her head, but continued to walk with him. Normally, Cynthia would have abandoned him a long while back, choosing to take a separate path, but she was still intrigued by this trainer.

"Hey Ash, why do you have your Pikachu on your shoulder?" Cynthia asked, no longer nervous around her fellow trainer. Ash looked over at her, grinning.

"He doesn't like pokeballs." Ash said simply, giving Pikachu a brief pat on the head.

"Cha!" Pikachu said, rubbing it's head against Ash's hand briefly. Cynthia smiled at the two of them, and then a thought occurred to her.

"Hey Ash, how did you know that?" Cynthia said in response. Ash opened his mouth to answer that, when he spotted a Pokemon.

"Look, a Rattata." Ash pointed out, motioning to the purple rat. "Pikachu, use Thundershock." Pikachu just looked at Ash as if he was an idiot. Ash twisted his head to look at the unmoving mouse on his shoulder.

"You don't want to battle for me, at least not yet, do you Pikachu?" Ash said. Pikachu nodded. Ash scratched his head, while Cynthia looked on in disbelief. "Ok, if you don't want to battle for me, I'll just prove myself to you." Cynthia's jaw practically hit the ground at that point. Most trainers never had this big a problem with starter Pokemon.

"Ash... how are you going to battle without a willing Pokemon?" Cynthia asked Ash.

"I'm not." Ash responded.

"So how are you going to battle and challenge the Pokemon League?" Cynthia said. Ash smiled.

"I'll just ask a wild Pokemon if it wants to come along with me." Ash told her. Cynthia's jaw suddenly clenched, and she found herself yelling at him.

"How the heck do you think you are going to be a trainer without capturing strong Pokemon? Don't you know the stronger ones won't fight for you unless you capture them?" Cynthia nearly shouted, causing Ash to step back, scared by the sudden outburst. She hadn't been this loud earlier, that was for sure. Pikachu's cheeks sparked threateningly at the outburst.

"I'm sure that any Pokemon can become strong." Ash said in response, a little angry now. "Besides, I don't want a Pokemon battling for me unless it wants to come along. The only reason why I wanted Pikachu to battle the Rattata was to see how strong Pikachu is. If you don't like that, I'm not making you travel with me." Cynthia, in response could only shake her head in frustration at Ash's remarks. This would have been enough for her to ditch Ash, was it not for the fact that she still wanted to know how Ash was able to command a Charizard so easily.

They walked on for a few minutes, silent, and annoyed at the other. Then, Cynthia suddenly stopped.

"A Spearow." Cynthia pointed out to Ash as she sent out Charmander. "And it's a large one too, I'm going to catch it."

"Cynthia, I wouldn't do that here. Anywhere else, but not near Pallet Town." Ash said worriedly. Pikachu nodded in agreement. Both were well aware of the reputation of the Spearow flock that frequented the area.

"Why? Should I ask politely first?" Cynthia said sarcastically. "Charmander, attack with Scratch."

The Charmander ran forward and started scratching the Spearow violently. The Spearow was first surprised by the sudden assault, and didn't react at the Charmander attacking. Suddenly, the Spearow's beak was surrounded by a black aura and struck the Charmander, sending it flying back toward Cynthia. The Charmander got up, somewhat injured. Ash started to tense up, as did Pikachu.

"You don't realize what you just did." Ash said, scared. The Spearow started screaming. Around them, dozens of dark shapes flew up from grass and trees, and into the sky. Like homing missiles, they started to fly toward the group. Cynthia went wide-eyed at the sight.

"Come on, we have to run." Ash told Cynthia. She shook herself out of the reverie, and upon returning her Charmander started sprinting after Ash and Pikachu.

For a few seconds, it seemed like they might escape the flock as it descended to where they had previously been. That illusion was dispelled at the flock redirected itself at the fleeing group.

"We can't outrun it Ash." Cynthia said, struggling to get air into her lungs as she ran as fast as she could. Ash nodded the best he could, checking what was in front of the path they were taking. He noticed the river they ran beside.

"Pikachu, get in my arms." Ash instructed. Pikachu hesitated for a second, and was scooped up by Ash. "Cynthia, leap into the river." Ash took a large breath and leaped into the water. Cynthia hesitated for a second, but upon hearing the Spearow getting closer jumped in after Ash.

Cynthia and Ash were tossed around by the current of the river, the water being stronger than they anticipated. Cynthia grabbed onto Ash's leg as she passed by him, trying to gain some kind of stability to hold onto in the water. They were suddenly pulled out of the water violently. Cynthia looked over and saw a red-headed woman holding a fishing rod, with the hook-end currently stuck on the pant leg of Ash's jeans.

"Oh, it's only two trainers." The red-headed woman lamented. She suddenly noticed the Pikachu in Ash's arms. "Are you alright?" She asked in concern, bending over to look at Pikachu.

"No." Ash responded instinctively.

"No, not you, your Pokemon!" She exclaimed, seeing how the mouse was breathing hard. Ash frowned, and got up, wobbly from being thrown around.

"He'll be fine, he's a strong one." Ash said, standing up. He glanced over at Cynthia.

"Cynthia, are you alright?" Ash asked her. Cynthia took a second to get some precious air, and spoke.

"I think I'll be fine." She stated, getting up slowly, and frowning at the state of her clothing. Maybe it wasn't a good idea for her to be wearing her dress pants.

"Good to hear." Ash responded while his Pikachu shook the water out of it's fur. Both Cynthia and Ash froze as they heard familiar squawking. They looked at the direction where they had come from, and saw the Spearow approaching them still.

"Uh oh." Ash said. He looked around and spotted a bike.

"I need to borrow this." Ash said suddenly, getting on it, and putting Pikachu in the front basket. Cynthia got on the back of the seat awkwardly, nearly being thrown off as Ash pedaled harder.

"Hey, that's my bike! Give me back my bike." The woman yelled angrily. She stopped yelling as she noticed the flock of Spearow passing overhead, going toward the trio.

Ash pedaled as hard as he could, but it seemed to be an uphill battle. With the two of them and Pikachu on the bike, they were only going slightly faster than they would be running. And judging from the angry Spearow calling after them, that wasn't fast enough.

Ash breathed hard, knowing they needed a plan. He spotted a grove of trees, and suddenly went off the path, flinching as he felt Cynthia fall off the bike. Ash stopped to dismount.

"What the fuck Ash!" Cynthia yelled angrily at him. Ash ignored the curse, pointing to the trees.

"There's a bunch of trees over there. They are tightly packed enough that only a few Spearow can attack us at a time. Hopefully we can bother them enough there so that they leave us alone." Ash explained to her. Both of them knew that this was probably unlikely at this point. But it really was their only shot.

"Ok, let's hope so." Cynthia said, as she followed Ash to the spot. The Spearow were nearly upon them by the time they got into the grove of trees. Ash grabbed a pokeball, and to Cynthia's instant rage offered it to Pikachu.

"Pikachu, I know you don't like your pokeball, but if you get in it you'll be safe in there." Ash said grimly, putting down the device and picking up a rock. Pikachu looked in shock at Ash, surprised at the selfless attitude that he was showing Pikachu. Pikachu looked at the pokeball, and then at Ash.

"Ash, are you fucking kidding me? You should at least be trying to get Pikachu to protect us. We'll die without our Pokemon." Cynthia stated angrily, sending out her injured Charmander. Ash reacted angrily.

"Cynthia, I'm not letting anyone die for me. And you shouldn't either. Your Charmander is too inexperienced and injured to fight the Spearow. Please return it!" Ash said, both angry, and scared for the young Charmander.

"I can't believe your giving up!" Cynthia said, as she turned to her Charmander. "Charmander, use Growl, and if they get near us, use Scratch." The Charmander shifted uneasily, but having been taught to be obedient started snarling angrily at the Spearow in a futile attempt to intimidate them. Ash winced at Cynthia's actions. He jumped as he heard thunder boom across the sky. It was starting to rain. The Spearow started to fly down, targeting the Charmander first.

"No!" Ash yelled, throwing a rock at the Spearow futilely as they used their Faint Attack on the lizard. The rock bounced off of a Spearow, doing almost no damage. He dropped to his knees as he heard screams emanating from the pile, and then, silence. Cynthia, upon witnessing this, fell to her knees. She had just killed her first Pokemon. And it hadn't bought them anything but a few more seconds of life.

A flash of electricity suddenly hit the pile of Spearow that had been attacking Charmander, knocking them all unconscious. Ash looked over at Pikachu in shock, which had obviously not gone back into it's pokeball.

"Pikachu, please get in your pokeball. I don't want you to die like Charmander did." Cynthia screamed, having realized her recalcitrance too late. Pikachu shook it's head grimly, and leaped into the sky. Pikachu, knowing that his trainer was willing to die for it, was not willing to allow this to happen. The mouse could feel the electricity in the storm. Acting instinctively, it released a large shock. A lightning bolt descended down, hitting Pikachu. The small electric mouse released the power, unable to contain it all. The air around Pikachu, and subsequently, the Spearow, was filled with electricity that Pikachu put out.

Ash watched this in shock. One second, Pikachu was surrounded by a blast of electricity- the next, Pikachu fell back to the ground. Ash caught Pikachu as he fell.

"Pikachu..." Ash said, emotionally shocked by the literal shocking his Pikachu had just performed.

"Pikapi..." Pikachu responded weakly. Despite Pikachu having manipulated the electricity expertly, it had still been burned from the lighting bolt.

"Of course... you gave Professor Oak trouble catching you, no wonder you were able to take out all those Spearow. I'm sorry that you got injured for me." Ash said, crying. Pikachu just gave off a small cha. Ash looked over at Cynthia, who had torn away the unconscious Spearow from Charmander. A flash of cold went through Ash's body upon seeing what was left of Charmander.

"You were right Ash. I'm so sorry Charma..." Cynthia fell to her knees and started to sob. Ash wanted to fall down and cry as well, but he knew what had to be done.

"Cynthia, we need to go." Ash said, trying to get Cynthia's attention. "Cynthia, Pikachu is hurt, and we don't know how long these Spearow will be out for." Ash felt sick, tearing Cynthia away from Charmander's remains, but they needed to go quickly.

Cynthia got up, feeling even more sick than Ash. She had failed as a trainer, as a decent human being. Her pride, her sickening amount of confidence, her selfishness had gotten Charmander dismembered. Barely comprehending what she was doing, she took a towel out from her backpack and, in a macabre fashion, started to put the bloody remains in a towel. Ash retched at the sight, and suddenly knocked the towel out of Cynthia's hands. He expected Cynthia to react angrily, or even hit him, but what happened was even more jarring.

"I'm a failure, aren't I?" Cynthia asked, hollowly. Her hands were covered in blood from the Charmander. Ash flinched at the sight, knowing that the fiery blood of the fire lizard would cause a rash for Cynthia later, and also knowing that the rash would be nothing compared to what Cynthia was responsible for.

Blood was on Cynthia's hands in every sense of the word.