25 Kanto - Viridian City

After the grunts were arrested and taken away Officer Jenny went around getting statements from everyone present at the centre. Blue approached Ash with an unreadable expression making Ash worry a bit. The next thing anyone knew he hugged the younger boy, before letting go and flicking his forehead getting a whine.

Ash, "Blue, what was that for?"

Blue, "What happened here is the reason, we wanted you to travel with other people!"

Ash pouted, "But Blue!"

Lucario grumbled, -This is our journey.-

Blue, "No, no buts! I was worried about you, hell Red will blow his top when he hears about this and I don't want to even think about how your mother will react!"

Misty, "Wait! Blue calm down!"

Blue turned to Misty, "Don't you get me started young lady! What were you thinking? Running off from your home like that! Your Daisy called mine, asking her if she had seen you."

Misty hung her head, "Daisy is back? I didn't mean to worry them. I wanted to prove myself!"

Blue sighed, "Well running away without anything but your pokeballs and money is not the best idea or way to do it. Your sister, Daisy sent some clothes to my sister in case you ran into her first. I'll get Alakazam to teleport them to the gym and get them to you tomorrow. You better be here little Missy!"

Misty nodded frantically, "I will! I will! I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon."

Blue turned to Ash, "Are you planning on staying or are you going to leave tomorrow?"

Ash, "I was planning to go to the Trainer Cooking Centre to make food for a few weeks and get some practice done for the contest happening next week. I plan on training in the Viridian forest a bit."

Lucario nodded, -Also see who is into battling and who is into performing.-

Blue ruffled his hair, "Which means you will be here for a week at least. I'll see you tomorrow, we can get breakfast together!"

Ash mumbled, "Yes big brother!"

Blue hugged him again, "I better get going, Good night Ash, Lucario, I will see you tomorrow at seven o'clock. See you tomorrow Misty!"

Ash smiled, "Seven sounds good. Good night!"

Misty turned to Ash once Blue left, "Your brothers are terrifying when they are angry."

Ash gave a smile, "He wasn't angry though, he was worried!"

Misty was gobsmacked, "That's worried? I don't want to see them angry then!"

Lucario laughed and led them back to Nurse Joy who gave their Pokemon a check up. The other trainers had done so while they were talking to Blue or rather Blue was chewing them out. It was surreal yet funny to watch it happening in front of them. That night Ash slept being snuggled on his right by Pikachu and held by Lucario on his left. Fearrow had made himself comfortable on the window as the perch was too small for his tastes and Feebas was sleeping in the aquarium in the room. The five of them had fallen asleep the moment they hit the bed, the events of the day exhausting them.

The next morning Ash woke up early around six and decided a nice hot bath was necessary, as he felt itchy all over. He even dragged the Pokemon along with him to the bath, he washed Feebas and Pikachu first getting content noises from them. Then he washed Lucario getting a sigh of comfort from the aura Pokemon, Fearrow he took extra care to clean and preen the feathers making the short tempered bird type melt like putty in his arms at the treatment. Lucario laughed at the sulky faces his new teammates made when they realized the bath time was over and Ash was cleaning himself up. He met up with Misty, who it seemed had a similar idea to bath and clean her water Pokemon after waking up early, outside the centre. They decided to sign up for the League while waiting for Blue, once the registration was done they heard the man calling them.

Ash turned around, "Good morning Blue!"

Blue, "Morning kiddos! Here are the clothes your sister sent Misty. Do you want to join us for breakfast?"

Misty smiled, "I would like that, I'll be back let me just put this in my room."

The three went to the Viridian Breakfast and Coffee cafe, where Blue ordered the special for all three of them. The Pokemon had their own table where they ate together uninterrupted by the humans. It was the reason the cafe was pretty popular among trainers, aside from good food it had good service that treated Pokemon well. Blue then took the two teens to the market where he helped them get the best produce. It also helped that Lucario had a good nose and picked out the best fruits, berries, vegetables, meat and bread among the piles of food along with disposable cups and plates. Blue had to separate from them at the TCC, as he had a meeting to attend and told Ash, he'll probably meet his older cousin soon, getting a nervous laugh from him.

Misty looked at the cooking items she picked, "You know outside of the camp, I never cooked at home like period."

Ash looked at her, "Why? From what I remember you were not that bad at cooking."

Misty gave a wry smile, "Violet didn't want me anywhere near the knives."

Ash washed the fruits, berries and vegetables, "Overprotective siblings?"

Misty sighed, "I love them, truly I do but sometimes they just..... Well they just drive me up the wall."

Ash gave a sigh, "They care about you though right?"

Misty started to wash the items she brought, "They do, I know they do but I wish they would not treat me like a stupid baby."

Ash twitched starting to cut the ingredients up giving her a sympathetic smile. They worked in comfortable silence as they made salads, toasts, curries, different types of drinks, and Pokefood with inputs from their Pokemon. Making Pokefood was an experience, Pikachu wanted his to be made with tomato sauce, while Fearrow preferred more meat in his, Feebas enjoyed sweet things while Lucario loved fruity tastes. Misty had a similar predicament when she decided to follow Ash's idea and ask her Pokemon, Staryu and Starmie loved food that was spicy and sweet, while Goldeen preferred it salty, she even had to go out and shop some more to get sour fruits as her Clamper who she caught the day before enjoyed sour food.

Ash was thankful his mother had given him the storage capsule that belonged to his late father. One Capsule even the basic one cost was above 10k pokedollars, and the one he got was one of the ones with expanded space and subspaces where he could keep the food items separately without them getting mixed up or jolted around. Misty had a capsule as well but it looked like an older model, and it seems it was only limited to holding food unlike his that held medicine as well.

Ash, "Huh it's already evening!"

Misty, "Well we were cooking for a few weeks in one go. I'm not surprised!"

Ash, "I'm going to Viridian forest tomorrow to train. What about you?"

Misty, "I'll go to the river again and try to catch more water Pokemon. I only have four Pokemon right now. I need two more, if only I could stop catching Magikarp."

Ash, "Wouldn't having a Magikarp which evolves into a Gyarados be a good thing?"

Misty looked away, "I don't think I can afford a Gyarados right now. They eat a lot and need more care than I can afford to give. Maybe after I get a few badges I'll be confident enough to take care of one but not right now."

Ash nodded, "Alright I understand....."

Misty looked at her friend as he trailed off and noticed he was looking at a glass case. In the glass case were a few mannequins dressed in beautiful dresses and outfits and she noticed Ash was looking at them admiringly.

Misty, "You okay?"

Ash turned to her, "Yeah! They are beautiful."

Misty smiled, "They are, aren't they? The price though."

Ash, "Unaffordable!"

Misty, "Ash, I have been meaning to ask, are you a trans?"

Ash, "Huh?"

Misty, "I just noticed over the years sometimes you act like a mother more than a boy and I don't have anything against trans, don't worry. I am just curious."

Ash smiled, "I'm not trans though I am asexual and I guess I like dresses. Although it really would not be a good idea considering the lifestyle we live as trainers to buy dresses. Well what about you?", 'Though my interest in dresses is because I was a woman before. I don't know any woman who doesn't want a dress at some point.'

Misty, "I think I'm bi? Maybe I know I have a crush on Lorelei but I'm also attracted to boys."

Ash, "That's pretty cool, actually. You just need to see who is compatible with you and makes you happy. And of course make sure they love you the same way you love them."

Misty, "There, that's what I'm talking about sometimes you say stuff that a woman says to another."

Ash gave a grin, "Maybe I'm a woman in a boy's body?"

Misty, "Ugh! Now that you said it out loud it sounds ridiculous."

Ash laughed, "It does, doesn't it? Well I'm not interested in relationships right now maybe after I grow older or have established a career."

Misty nodded, "That's not a bad plan."

The two had dinner together before turning in for the night, Misty was sharing her room with another girl unlike Ash who got his own room to sleep in. The next day Ash went to the Viridian forest and made plans with Lucario to train both himself and the Pokemon. They found an old field by a stream and decided to do a warm up first before running around the field they had found and doing push-ups and sit-ups. If the Pokemon were surprised by Ash joining the training they didn't show it. During breaks the Pokemon took turns in telling how their lives were before meeting Ash.

Fearrow had taken over the flock as a Spearow when he saw how his kind were treated by trainers. It was the reason he had attacked Ash in the first place, Ash had forgiven him and offered to visit the flock in two days. Fearrow nodded his head in thanks he was admittedly a little worried about his flock. Feebas had spent her days in the stream and rivers around Pallet watching out for the four boys who had not rejected her and had become friends instead. She could have gone with the older siblings but it didn't feel right so she had waited. It made Ash feel flattered that a Pokemon thought he was worthy even before he became a trainer. Ash was most fascinated by Pikachu's story it sounded similar to the anime one where he left once he evolved. Except in this reality Pikachu was separated from his family because of a trainer who later released him because he didn't want to evolve into a Raichu.

Ash hugged Pikachu, "If you don't want to evolve buddy, you don't have to, instead we'll show the world how powerful you are Pikachu."

Pikachu nuzzled back happily chirping he would do his best and prove that he was the strongest Pikachu in the world. Lucario's story had the three Pokemon looking at him with envy, to which he just shrugged and said if he had not been found as an egg, then the good Professor would not have allowed him even ten feet near Ash. This calmed the jealous feelings a bit before Ash clapped his hands and announced it was high time they returned back to training.

Ash, "Okay guys I know we have been working on stamina now we'll work on your speed. Remember powerful attacks are useless if it doesn't hit the target."

The group trained in increasing their speed on the first day, both Pikachu and Fearrow knew Quick attack so they raced against each other trying to get faster and faster. At the end of the day, Ash noticed Pikachu looked like he was covered in electricity and wondered if Volt Tackle will be possible by the end of the week. Fearrow had mastered Ariel Ace trying to out speed Pikachu much to everyone's shock and Lucario's amusement. Feebas had learned how to maneuver in the stream filled with rocks and had become faster and mastered Quick Attack and Agility in one day. Lucario had in the meantime engaged in hand to hand combat with Ash, he had promised Blue after all he would take care of Ash, the same way his partner had taken care of him as a new born.