Broken Promise: The Story of Ash's Pidgeot (Rated PG)

[AmericanPi]

Broken Promise: The Story of Ash's Pidgeot

By: American--Pi

Rated: PG

^Credit goes to Avenger Angel for the epic banner!

Ash Ketchum's Greatest Quote: "We'll be back as soon as we get Professor Oak's Pokeball!"​

Well hello there. Welcome to my first ever Pokemon fanfic, Broken Promise! Constructive support and advice is encouraged, and I do hope that all reviewers will put some thought into their reviews instead of just saying, "Oh, you did well".

I started this fanfic a long, long time ago in 2010, back when I was still Articuno_rocks (and still rather noobish). In around 2012 I completely lost interest in this fanfic and writing in general, so I took a gigapause from writing. However, as of 2015, I am writing again. I've still lost interest in this fanfic, but I fully intend to just finish it. I was going to finish it by posting the last chapter by the end of 2015, but stuff happened, and I realized that it would take more than one chapter to finish Broken Promise. So now I hope to finish the fic by the end of 2016. We'll see how it goes.

I've updated the Table of Contents and removed the "major events" spoiler at the end of every chapter (because honestly, if you're here you should care enough about my chapters to actually read them.).

Table of Contents

• Introduction (part of this post)
• Chapter 1 (part of this post)
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14
• Chapter 15
• Chapter 16
• Chapter 17
• Chapter 18
• Chapter 19
• Chapter 20
• Chapter 21

INTRODUCTION

Hello there! My name is Thunder, and I am Ash’s female Pidgeot… you didn’t know that did you? That’s all right. There are many secrets of the Pokemon world. As all of you know, Ash Ketchum, my former trainer, released me in the Viridian Forest a long time ago. He asked me to take care of a flock of wild Pidgey and Pidgeotto while he retrieved a Pokeball from Professor Ivy.

Of course, you know that Ash never came back to me – he broke the promise he made so long ago. It seems as if Ash has forgotten about me; the memory of me, I think, has crumbled to dust in his mind.

But I have, by no means, forgotten Ash, and this is my story of what happened after Ash left me.

CHAPTER 1

“Thunder, is something wrong?”

I roused from my deep thoughts and peered down the Roosting Tree to the speaker’s nest. Sky the flock deputy looked up at me. “You seem to be tossing and turning a lot in your nest,” she chirped.

Sky was a small female Pidgeotto whose plumes seemed to turn silver in the moonlight. Her plumes were silvery now, as the full moon gazed down onto the silent Viridian Forest. Sky was second in command in our flock – one rank lower than me, who was Flock Leader. I had met her on the first day of my leadership, and we had been great friends ever since.

I sighed, stepped out of my nest, and stretched my aching wings out. “Yes,” I admitted as I scanned the Roosting Tree. “Can we please talk in private?”

Sky knew that, whenever I asked to talk to her in private, that it was about something serious. She yawned, stretched, flew onto my branch, and perched delicately next to me.

“So?” she asked, looking up at me. “What’s wrong?”

I took a deep breath and muttered two words: “Ash Ketchum.”

Sky drew back in surprise. “Didn’t he leave you here a year ago?”

“That’s the point!” I hissed. I gazed up at the moon. “Ash Ketchum PROMISED to come back for me as soon as he retrieved Professor Ivy’s Pokeball for Professor Oak! It’s been a year since he made that promise – far too long for a task like that.”

Sky nodded slowly. “I see,” she murmured. “But what about the Orange Islands? If I remember correctly, Ash was interested in traveling to the Orange Islands. Perhaps he’s still having lots of adventures there.”

“Perhaps,” I answered. “But the Orange Archipelago is a pretty small region of the Pokemon World. It doesn’t take a whole long year to explore them.”

“So… what do you want to do about Ash?”

“I am going to find him and ask him why he broke his promise.”

“What? But… but… what about me? What about the flock? We need your protection!”

I shook my head. “Remember how we saved the Spearows’ leader from a ferocious Onix? The Spearow are our friends now.” Memories of the rescue flooded back to me – a once-fierce Fearow, desperately struggling to get out of the grip of a giant Onix. I had come across our old enemy while hunting and decided that, even though this Fearow was an enemy, that no Pokemon deserved to get squeezed to the near-death. Therefore, I had called my flock to attack the Onix. It had been a brutal fight, but the Onix had run away, and the Spearow had been our friends ever since.

Sky dipped her head. “Oh, yes, I somehow managed to forget.” She held her head high. “So I’ll be Flock Leader while you are gone?”

“Yes” I chirped. Perhaps you’ll be Flock Leader forever, I thought, knowing that that fate would befall Sky if Ash decided to keep me. I shook away the thought. I wasn’t going to tell Sky now. “I think I will start my search tomorrow,” I chirped confidently. Then I looked down at my feet. “But where am I supposed to start? I have no idea where Ash may be!”

Sky closed her eyes, thinking. For a while I thought she wasn’t going to answer, but she finally said, “I think you should go see Lightning.”

“Lightning? Do you mean the famous one, Falkner’s Pidgeot?” I asked incredulously. Sky couldn’t possibly be advising me to visit a celebrity among the bird Pokemon!

“Yes, I am serious, and I am referring to Falkner’s Pidgeot.”

“But-but-but how? I can’t talk to a Pokemon that famous? And how am I supposed to find Lightning?”

Sky put her wing on my shoulder. “Just wait around the Violet City gym,” she whispered. “Falkner and Lightning will turn up sooner or later.”

I nodded slowly and sighed. “Thanks for the advice, Sky,” I chirped. “I’ll announce my decision to the flock tomorrow morning. But right now, I’m going back to sleep.”

Sky yawned loudly and turned to leave. But before she could take a step, we both heard something. We cocked our heads – could it really be? Was the sound we heard really what we thought it was? Yes – from the stillness of the night resonated a long, drawn-out call –

Ooooooooooooo Ohhhhhhhhhh Aaaaaaaa…….

I gasped and looked up at the moon, and there it was – the source of the cry. Sky saw it too. There, flying over the moon, was the great legendary bird Articuno, with feathers that sparkled and shimmered, feathers so blue they looked as if they were covered with ice. We watched, breathless, as Articuno, with its strong, powerful wings and long, flowing tail, disappeared into the distance and vanished from sight.

“Articuno,” I whispered. “This must mean good luck.” I dipped my head to Sky and settled in my nest. Within moments, I was fast asleep.

To be continued…

 

[Breezy]

I won't do a full-blown review just yet, but it's a lot easier for people to read your work if you double space between paragraph. Forums don't adequately indent so we have to improvise. So this:

“Thunder, is something wrong?”
I roused from my deep thoughts and peered down the Roosting Tree to the speaker’s nest. Sky the flock deputy looked up at me. “You seem to be tossing and turning a lot in your nest,” she chirped.
Sky was a small female Pidgeotto whose plumes seemed to turn silver in the moonlight. Her plumes were silvery now, as the full moon gazed down onto the silent Viridian Forest. Sky was second in command in our flock – one rank lower than me, who was Flock Leader. I had met her on the first day of my leadership, and we had been great friends ever since.
I sighed, stepped out of my nest, and stretched my aching wings out. “Yes,” I admitted as I scanned the Roosting Tree. “Can we please talk in private?”
Sky knew that, whenever I asked to talk to her in private, that it was about something serious. She yawned, stretched, flew onto my branch, and perched delicately next to me.
“So?” she asked, looking up at me. “What’s wrong?”

should look like this

“Thunder, is something wrong?”

I roused from my deep thoughts and peered down the Roosting Tree to the speaker’s nest. Sky the flock deputy looked up at me. “You seem to be tossing and turning a lot in your nest,” she chirped.

Sky was a small female Pidgeotto whose plumes seemed to turn silver in the moonlight. Her plumes were silvery now, as the full moon gazed down onto the silent Viridian Forest. Sky was second in command in our flock – one rank lower than me, who was Flock Leader. I had met her on the first day of my leadership, and we had been great friends ever since.

I sighed, stepped out of my nest, and stretched my aching wings out. “Yes,” I admitted as I scanned the Roosting Tree. “Can we please talk in private?”

Sky knew that, whenever I asked to talk to her in private, that it was about something serious. She yawned, stretched, flew onto my branch, and perched delicately next to me.

“So?” she asked, looking up at me. “What’s wrong?”

From what I've skimmed, it seems like a well-written fic, just a bit hard on the eyes with the text-block formatting. Seems like an interesting concept as well. I might drop by again later. =)

 

[AmericanPi]

I won't do a full-blown review just yet, but it's a lot easier for people to read your work if you double space between paragraph. Forums don't adequately indent so we have to improvise. From what I've skimmed, it seems like a well-written fic, just a bit hard on the eyes with the text-block formatting. Seems like an interesting concept as well. I might drop by again later. =)

Thanks for the advice. I was kind of in a hurry when I posted this, so I forgot to take a look at what my fanfic looked like... I'll remember to double-space when I post the next chapter in about one week (I'd like to update this fanfic more often, but I'm going on a one-week-long vacation tomorrow. ). I'm glad you liked this!

 

[Femke]

Your a good writer!
I will check back later to see what will happen next^^

 

[AmericanPi]

Well I'm finally back from my vacation, so here is Chapter 2.

Please be warned that this chapter includes moments of Pokemon eating other Pokemon, so if you are uncomfortable about that subject, please watch out.


CHAPTER 2


The next morning, I woke to the usual chatter of voices that enveloped the Roosting Tree every day. Early hunters were bringing Bug Pokemon to the Food Nook, and energetic young Pidgey were gossiping about celebrities. “I heard that Falkner’s Dodrio can really fly,” one Pidgey twittered to another.

What a peaceful day, I thought to myself. I wish every day could be like this. I knew, however, that this was far from true - I would have to announce my departure today.

Spreading my wings, I glided to the Announcement Tree, a tall, thin tree directly across from the Roosting Tree. I took my place on the Leader’s Perch, the tallest and most visible branch on the tree, and saw that Sky had already taken her place on the slightly lower Deputy’s Perch.

“You ready, Thunder?” Sky asked.

“Ready,” I whispered. Then I raised my voice and called out, “All Flockmembers, please gather here on the Announcement Tree as quickly as you can for an Announcement.”

From the Roosting Tree poured a large throng of Pidgey, with the occasional Pidgeotto. Spirit, the flock’s best hunter, arrived first. The male Pidgeotto, whose long tail made it easy for him to make nimble turns, was still carrying a large Beedrill in his beak. Next came, Breeze, a female Pidgeotto, her mate Wind, and their three mischievous Pidgey daughters, Fog, Feather, and Soul. The flockmembers gathered around the Announcement Tree for a while before gently settling down, with the two oldest Pidgeotto, Boulder and Cascade, settling down last.

Dozens of curious eyes peered up at me. I felt as if the eyes were swallowing up all my words; I opened my beak, but not even a whisper came out of it. Finally, I took a deep breath and called, “Flockmembers, as you all know, I am here because of a trainer named Ash Ketchum. He left me in this forest so that you all could be safe and protected.”

A wave of nods and murmurs swept across the crowd, and I continued: “But there is one thing you Flockmembers do not know: that Ash promised, when he left me here, that he’d come back for me as soon as he retrieved Professor Ivy’s Pokeball for Professor Oak. You all know that a whole year has passed since then, and I think a year is too much time for a task such as delivering a Pokeball.”

Stone, a rather impulsive young male Pidgey, exclaimed, “But what are you going to do, Thunder? Fly around Kanto aimlessly looking for Ash?”

Sky held up her wing, silencing the protest. “Stone, you are correct that Thunder will look for Ash,” she declared, “But Thunder has a plan. She will start by visiting Lightning, Falkner’s Pidgeot, and ask if he has seen Ash. Even if he hasn’t, Lightning and Falkner might still be able to help. You know that Falkner will always help a bird Pokemon in need.”

“Oh, I see, that’s a better plan,” Stone said, and I dipped my head at Sky, acknowledging the support. “Flockmembers,” I declared, “I have made up my mind. I will start my search for Ash by noon today. I will fly to Violet City to consult Lightning.” I gestured at Sky. “While I am gone, Sky will act as Flock Leader and choose a Flock Deputy. Of course, there is a chance that I will never come back, and if that circumstance befalls all of you, Sky will be Flock Leader permanently.”

The previously calm flock suddenly erupted in a storm of protest. “You can’t leave!” Breeze cried. “We need your protection!” her mate, Wind, protested. “You don’t even know the way to Violet City!” Stone added.

I held up my wing to silence the angry flock. “Breeze and Wind,” I chirped, “Remember, the Spearow are our friends now, so they can help us fight enemies. Stone,” I continued, “I believe I have this.” Using her beak, Sky held up the very large sheet of paper that she always kept in her nest, for some unexplainable reason. “Sky is holding up a map, the tool humans use to get around,” I explained. “I can make sense of it easily; it looks a lot like what I see when I fly high above the Viridian Forest. Each city appears to be marked with the badge it gives out, and one of the cities is marked with a badge that looks like a bird’s wings. I am pretty certain that that city is Violet City, and to get there, I know I must fly westward from here and stop at the first big city I see.”

The whole flock - dozens of pairs of eyes - gazed up at me with silent awe. Finally, Boulder, the old male Pidgeotto, stood up and remarked, “That reasoning is truly remarkable, Thunder. You definitely have the brains to make the long journey. I would go find Ash if I were you.”

Then, suddenly, the whole flock began to chirp in support. “Go, Thunder, go! Go, Thunder, go!” As more and more voices joined in the chant, I felt more confident than ever. “Thank you, Flockmembers!” I called above the cheering voices. “I guess I will leave right now, then.”

“Wait, Thunder!” called a voice below. “I’d like you to have this.” Spirit, the speaker, flew up onto my branch and laid his Beedrill in front of my feet. “You need some energy for your long trip,” he declared. “Eat up! I can always catch another one later.”

“Thank you, Spirit,” I chirped gratefully, and lowered my head to eat. But before I could take a bite, another voice called out, “Thunder! Don’t forget to eat these Sitrus Berries as well. You’ll need them for energy too.”

Raising my head, I spotted Leaf, the Berry Expert of the flock. The young but smart Pidgey flapped toward me, a branch full of bright yellow Sitrus Berries clasped tightly in her nimble beak. She laid the branch down next to the Beedrill. “Thank you too, Leaf,” I murmured as she flapped away; then I gratefully gobbled up the Beedrill and the Sitrus Berries. I had never tasted a Beedrill this meaty; never eaten Sitrus Berries this juicy. As the energy from the foods flowed rapidly into my body, I was suddenly filled with the feeling that my adventure would turn out great.

Immediately after my refreshing meal, I raised my head and faced my Flockmembers. Slowly, I surveyed the flock. I felt a horrible ache in my heart as my gaze fell on my greatest friends – including Sky, Spirit, and Leaf. Knowing I would never see them again, I swallowed hard and called, “Goodbye, Flockmembers. You’ve been great friends of mine, but I must leave now. Perhaps I will see you again.” I shuddered as I said that, for I know that might not be true.

Then I focused on pinpointing my location, using the sun as a guide. Finally, spreading my wings, I leaped into the air, heading west, away from the shining, blazing sun.

“Goodbye, Thunder! Good luck! Hope you find Ash!” As the enthusiastic calls of the flock faded and eventually grew silent, I focused my eyesight on the distant horizon.

Violet City, Falkner, and Lightning, I thought as I flew westward, here I come.

To be continued…

 

[Skydra]

“Oh, I see, that’s a better plan,” Stone said, and I dipped my head at Sky, acknowledging the support. “Flockmembers,” I declared, “I have made up my mind. I will start my search for Ash by noon today. I will fly to Violet City to consult Lightning.” I gestured at Sky. “While I am gone, Sky will act as Flock Leader and choose a Flock Deputy. Of course, there is a chance that I will never come back, and if that circumstance befalls all of you, Sky will be Flock Leader permanently.”

The previously calm flock suddenly erupted in a storm of protest. “You can’t leave!” Breeze cried. “We need your protection!” her mate, Wind, protested. “You don’t even know the way to Violet City!” Stone added.


Then, suddenly, the whole flock began to chirp in support. “Go, Thunder, go! Go, Thunder, go!” As more and more voices joined in the chant, I felt more confident than ever. “Thank you, Flockmembers!” I called above the cheering voices. “I guess I will leave right now, then.”
“Thank you, Spirit,” I chirped gratefully, and lowered my head to eat. But before I could take a bite, another voice called out, “Thunder! Don’t forget to eat these Sitrus Berries as well. You’ll need them for energy too.”

A new paragraph should be begun when a new character talks. You almost got the Skydra Award of No Errors Found (I'll make art for it on Paint someday).

 

[AmericanPi]

A new paragraph should be begun when a new character talks. You almost got the Skydra Award of No Errors Found (I'll make art for it on Paint someday).

Sorry about the mistakes; this is my first fanfic. But I'll take your advice and follow it from now on.

 

[Piplup-Luv]

I really enjoy this story. Its nice how you made Ash's Pidgeot still care for its trainer and the fact that it's willing to leave and find him.

Overall, this story is amazing and I will be back again for more^^

 

[AmericanPi]

I am surprised with the formality and punctuality of the flock. I always imagined Pidgeots as restless teenagers or surfers, with crazy hair and relaxed dispositions that can turn fierce within seconds. Thunder will be heartbroken once she reaches Falkner, I fell sad.

Good job.

You know, I always thought of Pidgeot as that way too... but the Warrior Cat books just have too much of an influence on me. I learned how to write by reading those books... tee hee. You know what those books are, right? They're by Erin Hunter.

And why do you think Thunder will be heartbroken once she reaches Falkner?

 

[Karpi]

I'm not sure exactly how much time has passed for Ash region-wise, but I'm expecting Thunder's heartbreak to occur not when meeting Falkner, but when meeting some of Ash's other bird pokemon.

He has to have at least Noctowl, right? Thunder would probably be upset to see she had been replaced...

poor birdie...

 

[Silver Totodile]

This is really unique and well thought out. Your writings good and flows very well and you managed to bring across the feeling of friendship fantastically. Good job.


I'm really interested to see where this goes though I do have an image in my head that contains Thudner and Ash's Noctowl battling.



Good luck with the fic.

 

[AmericanPi]

Well it's been a long while, but here it is: Chapter 3!

CHAPTER 3

Flying westward, I flapped my strong wings and focused my keen eyes on the horizon. I still had plenty of energy from the delicious Sitrus Berries I had eaten that morning, and I gracefully skimmed the treetops, leaves rustling with every one of my powerful wing beats. Maybe I should try flying at my top speed, I thought. I shook the thought away. Flying at twice the speed of sound had to wait for later. For now, I had to keep my eye out for Violet City.

As the lush, green terrain below me gradually gave way to rough, barren mountain peaks, I slowed down slightly and looked around warily. I knew I was entering unfamiliar territory, so I flew higher into the sky. I don’t want to start any fights with the Pokemon living here, I thought. I need all my energy for my journey. I spotted several Donphan near a cave entrance, but thankfully they were sleeping. Good, I thought, relieved.

A sudden cold chilled my bones; shivering, I drew my feathers closer to my body. I realized that the air was thick with powdery snowflakes, some of them drifting onto my beak and making me sneeze, others coating and chilling my wings. Looking down, I gasped in astonishment when I saw that the mountain peaks were lightly capped with fluffy white snow.

I must be nearing Mount Silver, I thought. I must be brave. A vicious gust of wind tore at me; tumbling backward, I struggled to regain my balance in the raging snowstorm. Hail buffeted my body, threatening to push me down to the ground. The cold was almost unbearable now, and I felt like crying in despair. Keep flying, keep flying, I encouraged myself as searched the horizon for signs of civilization.

Gradually, the snowflakes slowed down until only harmless snow dust fell. The ragged mountain range below me gave way to greenery, and the storm clouds parted, giving way to warm, blazing sunshine.

Finally! I thought. As I soaked up the inviting warmth of the sun, I spotted, in the distance, a sprawling metropolis. Can that be Violet City? I asked myself. Yes! At the center of the city stood a tall, thin, cylindrical building which seemed to touch the sky. My heart skipped a beat. The Gym, I thought happily. No other gym in Johto is that tall.

Flying faster now, my spirits restored, I hovered closer to the gym. Circling the building, I spotted Lightning – strong and brave, as he battled a bulky, formidable Typhlosion on the rooftop battlefield. Lightning dived, swooped, and attacked gracefully and painlessly under Falkner’s commands, while the Typhlosion struggled desperately to match Lightning’s stunning speed. Battle commands filled the air: “Pidgeot, Quick Attack!” Falkner cried.

“Typhlosion, try your Flamethrower!” the challenger called.

The huge, fiery Pokemon lifted its head to fire a Flamethrower attack – but it just wasn’t quick enough. Lightning skillfully rammed into the Fire Pokemon’s belly, sending the Typhlosion rolling into a wall. It hit the wall with devastating impact, and its bright flames flickered and died out.

“Typhlosion is unable to battle!” cried the judge. “The winner is Pidgeot, so the winner of this match is Falkner!”

Wow! I thought. Lightning is one powerful Pokemon! As Falkner walked over to the young challenger and shook his hand, I glided delicately down to the battlefield and stood next to Lightning, who was singing a proud victory song.

“Congratulations, Lightning!” I chirped. “You were really great!”

Surprised, Lightning whirled around and faced me. “Oh, I do this all the time,” he boasted. Then he studied me closely. “You look very tired,” he chirped. “Where do you come from?”

“Kanto,” I answered. I studied the battlefield – the challenger had recalled his Typhlosion and was getting ready to leave. “Lightning, can I talk to you in private about something really important? It’s about a broken promise.”

“Sure,” Lightning replied. He hopped over to Falkner – whose face had a rather perplexed look on it – and pointed to me with his wing. Then, he gently headbutted Falkner on the chest.


Nodding slowly, Falkner walked away and disappeared behind the doors of an elevator. Then Lightning flew back to me.

“So, what is it?” he asked casually.

I swallowed hard, and managed to say, “Have you seen a trainer named Ash Ketchum?”

“Ash Ketchum?” Lightning sounded surprised. “He battled Falkner and I six months ago! I put up a good fight against his Charizard, but Charizard just had too much firepower… Oh, well. A defeat is a defeat.”

I nodded slowly, though I felt a sharp pain in my heart. “Six months ago?” I asked softly, sighing. “I didn’t know that Ash could move so fast.”

“Why are you worried about this Ash?” Lightning asked, perplexed.

Taking a deep breath, I began my story. “My name is Thunder,” I began. “I used to belong to Ash, but he released me in the Viridian Forest a year ago. He promised to come back for me after he retrieved a Pokeball for Professor Oak, but he never has.”

Lightning interrupted, “When Ash met Falkner and I, he said, right in front of our faces, that he used to own a Pidgeot and wanted to return for it someday… and he hasn’t returned for you so far?”

I shook my head in despair. Ash is such a liar! I thought angrily. Now I've got to find him and ask him why he’s lied to everyone: My flock, Falkner, Lightning, and me.

“That’s crazy!” Lightning cried. “He broke a promise! If you want to search for Ash, Falkner and I will definitely be able to help.”

“You don’t understand,” I protested. “I want you to come with me! Do you think a single Pidgeot can travel all the way across Johto alone?”

Lightning was silent for a moment, and then sighed, “I can come with you, as long as Falkner allows it. Wait here.”

I watched curiously as Lightning hopped over to the elevator, pushed a white button next to it, and waited.

In just a few moments, Falkner stepped out of the elevator door. “What is it, Pidgeot?” he asked.

Lightning pointed to me with his wing, then stepped back silently.

I gulped. How was I going to explain my situation to a human who couldn’t understand my language? Looking around, I spotted a pile of ashes, probably left over from the battle against Typhlosion. Perfect! I thought. I hopped over to it and pointed at it with my beak.

“Ash?” Falkner asked, scratching his head. “What’s so special about ash?”

He doesn’t understand! I thought despairingly. I pointed at the ashes more urgently; then looked up at Falkner pleadingly.

“Oh, I see now!” Falkner exclaimed. “Pidgeot, are you referring to a trainer named Ash?”

I nodded vigorously.

“I remember a trainer named Ash,” he said. “Ash came through Violet City six months ago and won a Zephyr Badge from me. When I met him, he told me he used to own a Pidgeot and wanted to go back to it someday… wait, are you his Pidgeot?”

I nodded again. Yes! He finally understands! I thought happily.

“And did Ash keep his promise of coming back to you?”

I shook my head sadly.

Falkner exploded. “WHAT?” he yelled. “He broke his promise? That’s outrageous! What was he thinking? He just insulted an awesome bird Pokemon! I would never allow anyone to insult a bird Pokemon!”

“What’s up with Falkner?” I whispered to Lightning. “Ash never acts like that.”

Lightning giggled nervously. “Oh, never mind that,” he whispered back. “Falkner hates it when people insult bird Pokemon. Sometimes he gets a little carried away.”

Finally, Falkner calmed down and said to me, “Are you going to look for Ash?”

I nodded, and pointed at Lightning, who hopped forward and rested his head on Falkner’s shoulder. Falkner was silent for a moment, and then gasped as he figured out the meaning of Lightning’s gesture.

“My Pidgeot,” Falkner whispered, “Are you trying to say that you want to accompany Ash’s Pidgeot on its journey to find Ash?”

Lightning nodded and chirped sadly. Will Falkner let Lightning go? I wondered. I hope. I don’t know how I’ll find Ash without Lightning.

Falkner sighed and threw his arms around Lightning. “I understand,” he murmured. “I know that Ash’s Pidgeot will need some help finding Ash. I know that I’ll be losing my best battler for a while, but I understand your need for adventure. You may go, Pidgeot. Goodbye.”

I stared at Falkner. His eyes were stained with tears – was Falkner actually crying? How could I do this? I just made Falkner lose his best Pokemon! What was I doing to Falkner and his reputation? I sighed and shook my head. I hated having to do this, but I had to take Lightning along with me. I glanced at Lightning – he was crying too. Swallowing hard, I resisted the urge to cry along with them. I had never felt so guilty in my whole life.

A while later, Falkner stood up and disappeared behind the elevator door again. When he returned a few moments later, he was carrying a peculiar device with a red button on it. As he hung it on Lightning’s neck, he explained, “This is a tracking device, so I pinpoint your location at any time. If you ever need me for any reason, just press the red button. I’ll be with you as fast as I can.”

As Lightning cooed his thanks, Falkner patted me on the head. “Why don’t you stay here for at least tonight?” he suggested. “You can get plenty of rest, and I can make my special bird Pokemon food for you. It’s made of Sitrus Berries, Oran Berries, Lum Berries, Wacan Berries, Charti Berries, and Yache Berries. You’ll love it; I guarantee it!”

_^^_^^__^^___^^__^^_^^_​

An hour later, I was munching on the Pokemon food, my first human-made Pokemon food in a year. It tasted delicious, much better than the Bug-type Pokemon I had to eat when I lived in Viridian Forest. When I finished my delicious meal, I lifted my head up to gaze at the stars – there weren’t as many stars here as in the forest though. However, the few stars that twinkled in the sky all seemed to send the same message – Good luck. Good luck.

Good luck. I needed it.

To be continued…

 

[alfredo3001]

great story!I've searching for this history since I readed the first two episodes of 'Broken Promise'in my DSI.I think is the best episode of this so far.Keep the good job!But...can you put faint instead of die?The Thiplosion really died,or it fainted?

 

[Silver Totodile]

I can't believe a story about a pidgeot could hook me like this! =P


I was looking forward to the next chapter and you didn't disappoint; this was great. The only thing I can say is to try and use more description on locations. A bit more on Violet city and Mt. Silver would be nice. I don't know if Sprout Tower appears in the anime but I was surprised that you didn’t mention it.


Other than that it was really enjoyable. I'm really looking forward to seeing Thunder battle something and how you write it.

 

[AmericanPi]

great story!I've searching for this history since I readed the first two episodes of 'Broken Promise'in my DSI.I think is the best episode of this so far.Keep the good job!But...can you put faint instead of die?The Thiplosion really died,or it fainted?

Um... I don't recall saying that Typhlosion died; only its flames died. If you watch Ash's Cyndaquil in the anime, its flames die when it gets beaten up. I assume Typhlosion's flames also die when they faint.

 

[alfredo3001]

Oh,I don't saw the anime since DP Gen started.And I only saw the Avance Genertion.I'am glad to hear that Thiplosion didn't died.

 

[Karpi]

Yes the story's back!

I'm afraid I don't have much to say, as it seems more like setting up for future action, but my heart goes out to Pidgeot!

 

[AmericanPi]

Oh gosh; I'd better update this fanfic before it becomes inactive for one month! Again, I'll try to update this fanfic every week, but most likely you'll have to wait two weeks for another chapter. Sorry! I've been very busy lately, with school and extracurriculars. >(

CHAPTER 4

“Rise and shine, sleepy ol’ Snorlax!”

Groaning and grunting, I buried my head deeper into my wing. “I’m tired, Sky,” I mumbled. “I flew all the way from Viridian Forest to Violet City yesterday. You can organize the hunting and scout patrols.”

A shrill, high-pitched laugh echoed around me, joined in by a slightly deeper chuckle. “Oh, Thunder,” a familiar voice giggled, “Don’t you know where you are?”

Startled, my eyes flew open. Scanning the area, I saw that I was in a forest – one that looked and felt different from Viridian Forest. Sure, there were trees in this forest all right, but these trees felt softer and spongier. I was sitting in a nest on a branch of the tallest tree, and right across from me, Falkner and Lightning sat on a larger branch, laughing loudly like two obnoxious Ash Ketchums. Oh, I thought, embarrassed. I’m in the indoor forest in the Violet City gym.

Lightning stopped giggling for just a while to say, “Remember, Thunder? We’re going to Azalea Town today. And why did you call me Sky?”

“Sky’s my best friend and deputy back at Viridian Forest,” I replied. “I’m sorry. I thought you were Sky.”

Lightning giggled a little, and then suggested, “Want some breakfast?”

“Sure,” I exclaimed eagerly. Lightning flapped swiftly down to a food bowl at the edge of the indoor forest and pointed to it eagerly.

Nodding, Falkner nimbly climbed down the giant tree. He was surprisingly agile for a human, and apparently had better tree-climbing skills than Bugsy. I chuckled lightly to myself as I thought of the stories I heard of the small, purple-haired Azalea Town gym leader who often got stuck in trees.

As soon as Falkner was out of sight, I glided down to a food bowl next to Lightning’s, the one I had used yesterday. “So,” I chattered, “How do we get to Azalea Town?”

“Oh, we just fly south from here until we come to a huge cave, then fly west until we see the town,” Lighting said good-naturedly. “Falkner and I have been there several times for training.”

In a moment, Falkner returned with his special bird Pokemon food. I gobbled it up greedily – for some reason, today’s food tasted even better than yesterday’s. When not a single crumb remained in my bowl, I stretched myself out and hopped over to a door at the edge of the indoor forest. The door was marked with a cloud, so I was almost certain that the door led outside into the free, open air.

When Lightning finished his meal, he and Falkner joined me by the door, Lightning with the tracking device around his neck. Falkner sighed and rested his hand on the doorknob. “Well, you two, good luck!” he exclaimed. Then his tone and expression sharpened as he lectured, “Remember, you guys, eat well, drink well, get plenty of sleep, ask for help if needed, and pace yourselves! Be sure not to get into any unnecessary fights, fly in bad weather, of get your feathers dirty. Most importantly, you two, STAY AWAY FROM ELECTRICITY AT ALL COSTS! And remember, nothing can break a bird Pokemon’s wings. Stay strong! Now, I guess you may start your journey.”

With one mighty push, Falkner shoved open the door – it did indeed lead to miles upon miles of seemingly endless blue sky, dotted here and there with fluffy white clouds. A warm breeze buffeted my feathers, cleansing them from the dust they had accumulated from being indoors for so long. Falkner hugged Lightning for one last time – I swallowed hard, reminding myself sharply how deeply Lightning’s departure would affect the Violet City gym leader. Then, surprisingly, Falkner threw his arms around me and hugged me too. I didn’t know why, but it felt warmer than any of the hugs I’d ever received, probably because it was my first trainer hug in a year. I shuddered, remembering that this would also be the last trainer hug for a long, long time.

Then Falkner stepped back; Lighting glanced at him uncertainly, and Falkner nodded curtly. With one mighty beat of my wings and one strong spring from the ground, I was flying, flying southward in the beautiful blue sky. Soon Lightning was flying alongside me, his longer plumes streaming in the warm breeze.

As I flew farther and farther away from Violet City, with its giant buildings and busy people, I listened as Falkner’s calls of farewell dwindled and fell silent. With my eyes, I scanned the distant ground for the unmistakable red hat of Ash, but saw nothing except for the hard, brown soil of the lonely country road.

_^^_^^__^^___^^__^^_^^_​

“I’m bored.”

Lightning’s voice broke the holy silence of the simple route and the surrounding forest.

I turned and faced him. “Why don’t we talk a little, then?” I suggested. “You can tell me a bit about yourself and how you manage to defeat formidable foes in gym battles.”

Lightning laughed good-naturedly. “Oh, my strategy is mostly speed and determination,” he declared. “Falkner and I have the strong determination to prove that bird Pokemon do stand a chance against electricity. Add that to Agility, Quick Attack, and Roost, and Falkner pretty much has victory in his hands. Why, I even managed to defeat Ash’s Pikachu when Ash battled us.”

I nodded. “Wow, that’s cool!” I exclaimed. I giggled lightly. “I wonder why Ash wouldn’t evolve his Pikachu into a powerful, swift Raichu.”

“Some trainers are like that. I heard that Bugsy wouldn’t even evolve his Metapod into Butterfree. What’s the point with that?”

“Maybe Bugsy just spends too much time getting stuck in trees,” I joked. Lightning and I laughed so hard, we almost crashed into a nearby tree.

_^^_^^__^^___^^__^^_^^_​

We talked and laughed for a while, but soon I was beginning to get hungry. The lazy white circle of the sun hung directly above the forest as I veered away from my main course, settling onto a tree in a large forest. My vision sharpened as I searched the forest for tasty Bug Pokemon.

Lightning flapped down and landed next to me. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Searching the forest for Bug Pokemon,” I muttered.

Lightning pecked me sharply on the neck; I jumped up at the surprising pain of the attack and yelped, “Ow! What did you do that for?”

“Are you crazy?” Lightning shrieked. “We can’t eat Bug Pokemon! Sure, I’m hungry, too, but can’t we just find a lake and catch a Magikarp or something?”

I shuddered at the thought of the slimy, slippery fish sliding into my belly. It would taste awful, if it didn’t evolve into Gyarados first. I winced as I imagined a giant, ferocious Gyarados, roaring angrily and mauling Lightning and I with swift Ice Fang attacks. “No!” I screamed out loud. “We are not hunting for a slimy Magikarp or a repulsive Goldeen!”

“Come on, Thunder!” Lightning pleaded. “I really don’t want to hunt for Bug Pokemon. And really, Magikarp taste good! They’re really exciting to hunt, too – my flock hunted them all the time, back when I was a wild Pidgey.”

“Well, Pidgeot don’t hunt slimy Magikarp, and that’s that!” I snapped.

Lightning growled angrily. “Stop being so adamant, Thunder!” he hissed. “You should at least try to hunt some Magikarp!”

I turned away, hissing angrily. There was no way Lightning could possibly make me eat a disgusting Magikarp. Focusing my senses, I spotted a Caterpie, crawling on the short grass a next to a small tree. I bunched my muscles, getting ready to dive onto the bug and finish it off…

Suddenly, a huge, intimidating Ariados dropped in front of Lightning and I, hissing and spitting furiously.

Lightning emitted an unusual high-pitched scream: “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!”

The Ariados scurried up the silk thread it had created in a single heartbeat, while the Caterpie darted, panicking, down a burrow. Other rustling sounds nearby signaled that other Bug Pokemon were also fleeing to their homes.

I whirled around and faced Lightning angrily. “Why did you do that?” I hissed. “Hunting is difficult! It is not a game where you scare away all the prey! Now all the Bug Pokemon have run away, and they probably won’t come out of their hiding places for a long time.”

Lightning shrank away, plastering himself to the tree trunk. “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you my secret,” he whimpered. “I am horribly scared of Bug Pokemon.”

“You are WHAT?” I screamed.

“I am horribly scared of Bug Pokemon.”

I paused for a while, trying to make sense of Lightning’s words. Then, I laughed so hard, I almost fell off the branch. I just couldn’t help it. “A bird Pokemon, scared of bugs?” I giggled. “You must be joking.”

“I’m not!” Lightning hissed. “If you just listen to me, I’ll tell you why.”

Sighing, I tried hard to stop laughing, then asked, “So? Why are you scared of Bug Pokemon?”

Lightning stared at his feet, shuddered, and took several deep breaths. Wow, he looks scared, I thought. He must be very brave if he can tell me his greatest secret, even though he’s scared to tell it.

“All right, so this happened in the early days of Falkner being a gym leader,” Lightning began. “I was still a Pidgeotto, and Falkner wasn’t as smart, tough, or kind as he is now.

“One day a small boy with long, dark purple hair came to challenge Falkner to a gym match. The boy confidently said that all of his Pokemon were Bug Pokemon, which of course was predictable, because the boy was carrying a large bug net. This made Falkner overconfident, and he challenged the boy to a One-on-Two match – Falkner was certain that I alone could defeat two Bug Pokemon. He was wrong.

“The boy’s first Pokemon was a Caterpie – ‘How funny’, Falkner sneered. He commanded me to finish it off with Gust – but that Caterpie was surprising fast, perhaps even faster than Ash’s Pikachu. That worm used String Shot, and pretty soon, my whole body was wrapped in that sticky silk, trapped and unable to move.”

“Ouch, that must hurt!” I exclaimed in horror.

Lightning nodded sadly. “I was completely immobilized,” he groaned. “I could only struggle pitifully as the small boy recalled his Caterpie and sent out an imposing Scyther. The next thing I knew, that bug was slashing me furiously with its two horrible blades, and the next thing I knew after that, I was lying on a bed in a Pokemon center.”

“Yikes,” I whispered. “So that’s why Bug Pokemon make you nervous.” A flush of guilt enveloped me from the tip of my beak to the tip of my tail, and I promised to myself that I wouldn’t ever be so thoughtless again.

Lightning stretched out his wings, relieved, as if his burden were finally lifted from his back. “Well, at least Falkner understands how I feel,” he declared. “And that boy eventually became the Azalea Town gym leader.”

“Wow, so Bugsy actually defeated a Pidgeotto with relative ease, using only Bug Pokemon,” I breathed. “He didn’t become Gym Leader for nothing.”

Lightning nodded quickly. Springing into the air, he called, “Now do you want to hunt some Magikarp? Really, if you don’t know how to, I can teach you.”

“No way!” I yelled angrily. Why did he have to bring this subject up again? “You can go eat your slimy fish if you want. I’m staying here to hopefully get some bugs.”

Lightning shrugged and flew swiftly away.

Good riddance, I thought angrily. Now that all was peaceful, I concentrated hard, trying to spot some Bug Pokemon. Luck was not on my side, however, because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t see or hear any Bug Pokemon anywhere in the forest – Lightning had scared all of them away with his scream. After wandering the woods for a long while, I groaned, defeated, and flapped back to the tree Lightning and I were sitting on.

Surprisingly, Lightning was already sitting there. “Guess what, Thunder?” he teased. “I managed to catch a huge Magikarp at a nearby lake. And now, I’m full and you’re not. If you hadn’t been so adamant, then maybe you wouldn’t be so hungry now!”

I opened my beak to protest, but before any sound came out of it, a huge, ferocious roar sounded not too far away. Startled, Lightning and I whipped our heads around, and almost screamed at what we saw. Not too far away, towering out of a small lake (it was probably the one Lightning caught his Magikarp in), was a furious, gigantic blue serpent. Its eyes blazed with hot fury, and its mouth gaped open, revealing a set of sharp, gleaming white teeth.

“It’s a Gyarados!” I screamed in horror.

To be continued…

 

[alfredo3001]

Wow,Thunder was right,I would be scared too if I where Pidgeot with a Magikarp on my mouth,then,suddenly it evolved in Gyarados.I would scream and fly,then get fear of eating Magikarp again.

 

[AmericanPi]

^THANK YOU, THANK YOU, you made my fanfic 2 pages long!

Sorry; I was overreacting.

 

[AmericanPi]

Great chappie Articunorocks.

The chapters are really brief. I would love it if you could give us more to read when you update. The conversations were nice and refreshing and I'm looking forward to how this all pans out.

And here I was worried that my chapters were too long. >( Don't worry; I'll make sure the next chapter is longer. Sorry