Chapter 8
The Journey Never Ends
Chapter 8: In Pursuit of Power
Dinner at Forrest's house had been a spectacular affair. The gym leader's many siblings had learned much from their eldest brother about the culinary arts. The steak was marinated and coated with a delicious flavoring rub, and accompanied by mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn on the cob. It was easily the most filling and delicious dinner Allie had eaten since leaving on her journey.
After supper, Ash politely excused himself. Thanking Forrest's family for their hospitality, he explained that there were several preparations that he needed to perform in order to prepare for the journey through Mt. Moon the following day.
But Allie stayed for several hours talking and laughing with the large family. Their stories of Pokémon battles in the gym captivated her; the tales they told of their older brother, Brock, and his work as a Pokémon doctor were fascinating.
Eventually, however, it was around 11:00, and Allie knew that tomorrow would be another long day of travelling. She thanked and waved goodbye to her hosts, and began her walk through the dark streets of Pewter. The sky was cloudless, and the faint new moon allowed the light of the stars to shine through. Pewter City was the town Allie grew up in, and so she knew her way around even in the dark.
As she walked past the Pokémart, she felt a hand tap her shoulder and turned around. An old man with purple hair and a white beard stood looking at her. He had a creepy smile on his face, and Allie instinctively took a step back.
"Don't fear girly," the man said, his white beard hardly moving. "I only wondered if you would do me a favor."
Appalled, Allie took another step back, her eyes wide with fear. The street was empty except for the two of them.
"No, no, no… That's not what I mean," he sighed. Allie relaxed slightly. "You're a Pokémon trainer, aren't you?" Allie nodded, still unsure of what he wanted. "I was once one too… a long time ago. I wondered... could I see what Pokémon you have?" the man asked her. Explaining, he said, "My days as a trainer are long gone, but I still try to live my dream through the adventures of others.
"Um… I guess you can," said Allie, reaching to her belt and grabbing Squirtle's Pokéball. He had been healed at Forrest's house, and jumped out of the Pokéball happily. After taking one look at the strange man, he pulled his body into his shell.
"Golly Gee! Isn't that a rare Pokémon! You must be an incredible trainer to have caught such an adorable Squirtle," the old man said, leaning towards it, eyes gleaming.
"Actually, he was a gift from-" but she never had a chance to say "Professor Oak" because at that moment, the old man sprung forward with energy she didn't imagine he could have and shoved her to the ground.
Crying out in agony as her head hit the hard concrete, Allie struggled to stand up, but the man placed his heavy black boot on her chest. He pressed it down hard on her, pinning the girl to the ground. Whimpering from the pain, Allie was forced to watch as the man pulled a bag over the small turtle shell that Squirtle was still hiding in.
"I've no interest in you, girly, just don't be too loud now as you go or you'll regret it," he smiled evilly at her. Hoisting Squirtle's bag up over his shoulder, he gave her a hard parting kick to the ribs and watched as tears began forming in her teal eyes. Laughing, he ran away.
Struggling to roll over and get onto her knees, she watched the man flee with her very first Pokémon. She didn't even have the courage or strength left to chase after him. Allie was a failure. Catching Ruby and earning the Boulder Badge didn't change that she had just allowed herself to be manipulated and hurt. The head injury had disorientated her, there was a foul taste of bile in her mouth from when he kicked her in the side, and her chest was incredibly sore. But worst of all was that she had failed her Pokémon.
The man reappeared in her view every time he passed under a streetlight. Each time, Allie reflected on how useless she had been.
The crying girl pulled out Ruby's Pokéball. She didn't want the Vulpix to know what had happened. Someone would find the ball lying in the sidewalk, and release or train Ruby like Allie never could have. The girl, meanwhile, would return to her home and be alone again, already beaten by Kanto.
One of the outdoor rock gardens for which Pewter was known was brightly lit for tourists to see at night. Allie watched in despair as the thief reached it, the last light that would ever allow her to see the man and her Squirtle. But she noticed that the man had stopped running; the sack now seemed to be shaking aggressively. Quickly getting to her feet, Allie watched with amazement as a huge torrent of water burst out of the bag, knocking the thief on his back. Her eyes widened as a shell, propelled by water coming out of one of the holes, came sliding back towards her under the streetlights.
Close behind it was the purple haired man. His face had an obviously fake beard hanging off of it, and angry expression upon it.
"Come back here! I'll get you!" he screamed, gaining ground on the spinning turtle.
Allie quickly stowed Ruby's Pokéball back on her belt. Squirtle's shell reached her feet, and he popped out. He nodded at her, spinning around to face the villain.
Taking the hint, Allie ordered him to attack. "Use watergun!"
The tiny turtle's cheeks swelled, then he let out a blast of water the same width as the sidewalk they were standing on. The robber attempted to dodge into the empty street, but he wasn't quick enough and watergun hit him head on and threw him against a building. Congratulating and thanking Squirtle, Allie returned him to the Pokéball, turned from her attacker, and fled.
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Allie ran to the first place she thought of: the old hydroelectric plant where she had found Ruby. Finally confident that she had lost her pursuer, her pace slowed as she walked through the forest grove in front of the decrepit building. Her thoughts hadn't even had time to gather; she didn't know what to think of her close escape or the fear that had consumed her while she was lying on the sidewalk.
One of the purple sneakers she wore caught on a rock that was hidden by the darkness, and Allie was suddenly hurled towards the ground. The ground around Pewter was usually rather hard because of all the rocks. Strangely, she landed face down on something soft. Exhausted from her ordeal, Allie decided to take several moments to recover.
"Allie?" a familiar voice asked.
"Ash? Where are you?" Allie inquired, looking around.
"Down here."
Allie glanced down at the soft thing she was laying on, and suddenly realized that she was centimeters away from Ash's face. Her body, meanwhile, was spread out on top of his.
Blushing profusely, she rolled off of him.
"Oh my God, Ash! I'm sorry! I tripped, and well, I was tired and didn't know I was on you." Self-conscious about the contact being so intimate, the girl continued to blush and apologize.
The ever-composed trainer, however, reassured her that he was fine. "Don't worry about it," Ash said, brushing dirt off his jacket while remaining lying down. Allie continued to lie next to him, barely an arm's length apart.
"So why are you out here falling on innocent stargazers, Miss Dogwood?" the black-haired trainer asked.
Allie recounted the grim adventure that started after she left Forrest's house. Ash listened carefully, confirming details with her every so often. Each time he spoke, Allie could hear his voice getting graver as he heard about the attack.
"That shouldn't have been allowed to happen," Ash said firmly, as she completed her story.
Assuming that Ash meant how the man had manipulated her, Allie closed her eyes in shame.
"I know. I'm an idiot," she sulked. "I'm just gullible and stupid. And weak," she added as an afterthought.
He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "No, I mean I shouldn't have left you. The professor wanted me to be your teacher and to protect you. But I left you alone at night in a dangerous world just to go see the stars." Ash sighed. "I'm sorry," he finished, trying to reassure the girl that it wasn't her fault.
The two stared up at the twinkling stars for several minutes, while Allie thought about the apology.
"No Ash," the girl said determinately. "I can't expect you to always come flying to my rescue. I can't be a burden forever. I need to become strong." She put her hand on top of where Ash's was resting on her shoulder. "Please teach me Ash. I want to become a great Pokémon trainer, but I can't unless I can rely on myself."
Ash smiled at this show of willpower in the face of doubt. Yes, she had what it takes to become a great trainer. She just needed to gain courage and confidence.
Withdrawing his hand, the expert trainer asked her, "How do you want me to help you?"
"I want to train with you," she responded, her voice unshaken. "I want to learn everything you know about Pokémon."
Ash laughed. "Allie, no one knows everything about Pokémon. Even I'm still learning. But you can join me tomorrow morning if you really want to. I promise you: it won't be easy."
"I know. But I need to do it," Allie said.
"Very well," Ash agreed. "Be prepared, though."
The girl's heart rose at hearing she would be allowed to train with such a great trainer. To be fair, she had never actually seen him battle, but he seemed like he was pretty powerful, and even if he wasn't the training would still benefit her.
The two trainers watched the stars in silence. A shooting star was flying through the constellation of fortitude: Arcanus the dog.
"Ash?"
The older boy made a noise that indicated he was listening.
"What brought you here tonight?" asked the blonde haired girl.
"Back when I was just starting my journey, I tried to use the waterwheel to help Pikachu get more powerful so that we’d be able to beat the gym leader. It worked.” Ash turned his head to face her. "I have a question for you, too. Why did you wait till you were sixteen to start your adventure?"
Allie's face fell. She didn't really want to have to tell the story to Ash, but he had answered her question. Sighing, the girl began her story.
"I was born in a faraway region. We moved to Pewter City when I was six." The words came slowly. "My mother died two years later. Not long afterward, my father went away on a business trip. He never returned."
Ash regretted asking such a personal question. "… Allie. I'm sorry. I know how it feels to be without a parent. I never knew my dad. He left my mom before I was born and disappeared."
"It's hard," murmured Allie. "Kids deserve both parents." She paused. "The organization he was working for sent his paycheck every month, and it kept me alive. Ruby was my only friend back then. But I wanted Daddy to come back before I left on my journey. Eventually, I just kind of gave up."
"And that's how you ended up in Viridian Forrest, on your way to see Professor Oak while he was in Viridian.”
Allie nodded. "Ash, I know I'm a liability on your important mission. But thanks for travelling with me. It's nice not to be alone."
It was surprising to Ash to hear Allie speak somberly. She was usually so optimistic, even after all she had been through.
"You're not a liability. By the end of this journey, I have a feeling that I'm going to be outright grateful you came along."
A Pokémon's cry in the dark came drifting through the clearing as they sat again in the quiet of night.
"Come on, we need to get some rest and treat your injuries. If you want to train with me, you have to get up pretty early," Ash told the girl. She nodded.
They stood up and walked side by side back to the Pokémon Center under the starlit sky.
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"Come on Allie, get up. It's time to train."
She was being shaken by Ash in her Pokémon Center bed. Slowly opening her eyes, Allie looked around the dark room. Ash stood at the side of her bed, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, his sweatshirt tied around his waist. Pikachu stood on his shoulder, looking tired but energized. The digital clock next to her read 3:30 AM.
He's got to be kidding, she thought, rolling back over.
"I'll be in the lobby. We'll leave in ten minutes. Be ready or you won't get to come," Ash said, already halfway out the door.
Several minutes later, Allie groggily walked into the lobby of the Pokémon Center. She was wearing a pink sports bra and cycling shorts. Her knee socks were replaced by ankle socks, and she wore pink and black sweatbands on her wrists in place of her usual fingerless gloves. Her blonde hair, as usual, was tied back in a ponytail with a black headband above her forehead. Several strands towards the front of her head were out of the ponytail; these were pulled to the side, hanging in front of her ears or else over the headband.
Gesturing towards the door, Ash ushered her outside. Allie shivered as the chilly morning air hit her bare midriff, but she knew that the training was going to be intense, and that she needed to be dressed properly for it.
Standing on the sidewalk outside the Pokémon Center was Pidgeot. Without a word, Ash climbed on its back and held out a hand. Allie took it and Ash pulled her up in front of him. He made sure she was secure, and then patted the giant bird on its side. Instantaneously, Pidgeot began flapping its wings and launched itself into the sky.
Allie wasn't overly fond of heights, but she held Pidgeot tightly and Ash had his arms wrapped around her waist, so she felt very safe. Pikachu's stubby arms, meanwhile, were wrapped around Ash's neck.
They were several thousand feet above the city now, and Allie could see the outline of a large mountain range in the distance. The city lights grew further and further as they got closer and closer to Mt. Moon.
An hour later, Pidgeot entered a downward arc. The expert trainer grabbed Allie with one arm, holding her tight against him, while seizing Pidgeot's neck with the other. Instead of descending to the base of the mountain, however, Ash guided Pidgeot to a spot about halfway up the rock formation. The landing was as smooth as Allie could have hoped for, and when Ash finally helped her down from Pidgeot's back, she smiled.
Turning around, Allie stroked feathers of the mighty bird. "Thank you, Pidgeot. That was a lot of fun," she said tenderly. The girl turned around, looking out over the vast horizon. Though it was dark, she could still see the Silver Mountains peeking out over the valley. The lights of Pewter City were far away now, but Allie could still see where they had come from.
"Alright," declared Ash. Allie spun around to see him standing with Pikachu. Pigeot was back in his Pokéball. "Let's begin. First, you need to have your Pokémon out."
"Okay," said Allie, reaching to her belt. Ruby and Squirtle hopped out of their Pokéballs.
"Now, one of the most important lessons you'll learn is that you and your Pokémon are a team. They're the ones battling, but they need to trust you. Therefore, it is important that the trainer trains with the Pokémon, not merely ordering the Pokémon around. It's a partnership." Allie nodded in agreement. "You want to become stronger to protect yourself and others. By training and learning with your Pokémon, you can accomplish this. But only through hard work and determination."
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Hard work was right.
Sweat ran off Allie's face in visible drops. Her sports bra and shorts were soaked with it, and her wet skin shone in the morning sun. Loose pieces of hair stuck to her face. As Allie expected, wearing minimal clothing was beneficial despite being so cold earlier in the morning. Starting with sunrise, it had grown incredibly hot. The skin under her teal eyes had already turned red from the sun's more intense rays at the higher elevation. Sadly, she wasn't high enough for the air to be any cooler.
At the moment, Allie and her Pokémon were on what she thought to be about their fourth consecutive hour of jogging the rugged mountain pass. Ruby followed her, jumping around from rock to rock, perfectly equipped for training on the mountain. Squirtle, meanwhile, was struggling to run as fast as his short legs would carry him. Every so often, he was able to catch up when Allie stopped and struggled to breathe the thin air.
Ash was nowhere to be seen. After giving Allie and her Pokémon the task to run along the ridge, he began jogging in the other direction.
It was no easy feat. There were several heavy rocks blocking the path that Squirtle had to destroy with his watergun. A few times, it seemed as though the path ended, and Ruby had to go through small cracks in the ground to see if it continued. All the while, the sun beat down on them.
As the three reached an enormous rock protruding from the mountain side, they stopped. There was no way around it. Breathing heavily, Allie allowed the two Pokémon to climb onto her shoulders. She reached up, taking hold of two jagged outcroppings. Slowly, Allie began to pull herself up, stepping onto several projections. There was one point about halfway up when a rock she had put her foot on broke off.
Allie cried out as she slid down the face of the mountain. Her right arm was dragged down across a particularly rough section. Thankfully, she managed to regain her grasp upon the rock before falling further. Looking down, she felt dizzy and tired.
Fifteen minutes later, Allie finally reached the top. Her Pokémon jumped off her shoulders as her head peeked above the top of the flat rock. After pulling herself onto the plateau, the tired girl rolled on her back and closed her eyes. Ruby and Squirtle collapsed at her side.
"How are you doing?" asked Ash's voice.
Opening one teal eye, Allie looked up at the young man standing over her. He, too, was sweaty from training in the heat.
"You warned me that it would be difficult," she managed to whisper.
"Training Pokémon is one of the more challenging parts of being a trainer. To train them must be your cause. You worked together to come this far."
Allie gradually sat up. Looking around, she saw a bag of apples and muffins sitting a few feet away.
Ash tossed her one of the apples. "Yeah, training's hard. But it's really rewarding to watch." Picking up one of the pastries, he began eating.
The girl gratefully bit into her breakfast. "Yeah," she agreed. "It was epic to watch Squirtle blast through those rocks with watergun."
A thoughtful expression appeared on Ash's face. "Hmm… you know Allie, I wanted to talk to you about that. I don't think that Squirtle is using watergun at all," Ash theorized. She tilted her head curiously. "I think, somehow, he learned hydro pump. Maybe from a parent, or perhaps he just learned it unusually early. But that move is definitely more powerful than any watergun I've ever seen."
Allie looked at the small turtle, chomping on an apple next to her. He really was powerful, especially considering his small size. She had certainly chosen the right Pokémon that day in the Viridian Gym.
Suddenly, Ash reached out and grabbed Allie's wrist. Startled, the girl winced in pain as he pulled her arm towards him. But the pain wasn't from him pulling. There was wet blood covering everything from her sports bra, to her naked belly, to the ground around her.
"When did this happen?" he questioned, grabbing an alcohol wipe from the first aid kit he carried in his bag.
"It must have been when I slipped on the rocks," she explained. The cool alcohol stung as it cleaned the wound, but Ash was gentle; he turned her arm carefully to get all sides of the abrasion. Allie stared into his brown eyes. They were filled with care. Despite always seeming so preoccupied, the trainer really did care about her. Ash finished cleaning the injury, and wrapped it tenderly with medical bandages.
The two trainers continued their breakfast in silence. Allie's eyes turned to a dust cloud that was forming along where the road was, several thousand feet below them. The cloud became thicker and darker as she watched on, until she became thoroughly convinced that it couldn't possibly be dust.
The action below had captured Ash's attention as well. He reached over to where his backpack was sitting and pulled out a pair of tactical binoculars. Holding the high-tech device up to his eyes, he observed up close what was happening down below. Allie watched his eyebrows narrow.
Ash handed the girl the binoculars, and she too viewed the action. The "dark dust cloud" now appeared to be a cloud of thick black smoke. But it was what was in front of the smoke that made Allie's eyes widen. A man with purple hair was riding on a motorcycle towards the entrance to Mt. Moon. Turning to Ash, she spoke two words: "It's him."
The older trainer quickly called out Pidgeot again, while Allie put her Pokémon back in their balls. Ash helped her up onto Pidgeot's back once more, holding her tightly. Ash shouted, signaling to Pidgeot to fly fast to the mouth of the cave to cut the thief's escape route off.
The gigantic bird leaped off the mesa, entering a steep dive pointed right towards the ground. Allie held even tighter around its neck, her blonde hair blowing back into Ash's face. As they were about to hit the ground, Pidgeot abruptly pulled up, now flying parallel to the earth.
They landed at an old mine shaft at the end of the road. The thief's motorcycle lay abandoned in a bush near the side of the road, but he was nowhere to be seen. The only trace left of him was several footprints leading into the heart of Mt. Moon.
"Damn it," swore Ash. "We'll catch him. Don't worry." He pulled out two headlights from his backpack, and tossed one to Allie. "Pikachu, stand guard out here. Stop him if he comes back out."
The electric mouse saluted loyally to its trainer.
Entering the cave, the two began descending into the dark, damp environment. Allie followed Ash closely, not wanting to lose her mentor in the absolute blackness of the underground. Deeper and deeper they went, passing under hundreds of Zubats, Golbats, and Crobats hanging from the ceiling.
It was cold so far down. The sweat that still covered Allie was cooling down fast. The dangerous combination of being wet and cold caused Allie to shiver uncontrollably. Her arms were tightly crossed around her midriff, and she kept her legs as close together as possible to keep them less exposed. The sports bra and tight shorts did little to help hold heat in.
Hearing her teeth chatter, Ash turned around to check on Allie. As she approached, he could see by the light of his headlamp that her skin, very exposed by her lack of modest clothing, was covered with goosebumps. Her lips, meanwhile, were a pale blue. Ash was worried for the girl; hypothermia became a concern under such conditions.
"Didn't you bring anything warmer?" Ash asked her.
Shaking her head, Allie replied, "I l-left my b-b-bag up w-where we s-started t-t-training." Her teeth chattered as she shook from the cold.
Taking off his sweatshirt, Ash handed it to her. Allie gratefully pulled it on over her clothes. The oversized red hoodie reached almost to where her shorts did.
"Thanks Ash," she said, finally warming up.
"No problem."
They continued downwards for a while. The cave was rocky and narrow, making it tricky to navigate. All of a sudden, Allie was paused mid-step by Ash waving his hand at her. He held a finger up to his lips, preventing her from voicing her inquiry of the reason why.
Faintly, Allie could hear two voices echoing. It sounded as though they were arguing about something. Slowly, the voices became louder as their owners drew closer. Allie could barely make out some of their conversation.
"I don't need you here to protect me!" complained a feminine voice. "We're in the twenty-first century. I can take care of myself just fine."
"But milady, I cannot allow such a gorgeous woman to go alone into danger," replied her male companion.
The girl's voice muttered something that Allie thought sounded like, "creep."
As the strangers' lights reached the corner, Ash picked up a rock and stood in front of Allie, ready to fight if necessary.
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