Return of the defeated (on hold)

/Part 10/

"I cam feel them too, lets go. I'm sure that's the poacher's campsite." May nodded in agreement and they turned back into the woods with a quick pace when they came upon an area surrounded by camouflage tarps. Ash quickly pull one of the tarps to the ground revealing numerous cages holding pokemon that all looked extremely frightened. Ash quickly told May to contact Officer Jenny while he and Lucario tried to calm the pokemon with aura and make sure that none of them were seriously injured. It took the police about ten minutes to reach them with their trucks so they could transport the pokemon to the Mt. Moon Pokemon Center for a check up before they could be released back into the wild. Ash was checking the pokemon anger boiled deep in his stomach, none of the pokemon were severely hurt but they had definitely sustained injuries from traps on over powered attacks. One pokemon in particular had gotten his attention, it was a Sandshrew that appeared to have only hatched a few days prior.

They helped the officers load the cages gently into the trucks and took Officer Jenny's offer to accompany them to the center. Ash especially wanted to go with them because the young Sandshrew was very nervous and was feverishly attacking the cage in an attempt to escape. Ash placed the cage on his lap letting his aura flow unseen by anyone to help calm the ground type. They reached the Pokemon Center quickly and began to help examine and treat the pokemon, once Nurse Joy or Chansey gave a clean bill of health they would release the pokemon and move to the next one. Nurse Joy had moved onto Sandshrew, she opened the cage door but immediately shut when it swiped her hand with a Scratch attack. She let out a yelp which alerted Ash, he quickly made his way to them to make sure everything was ok.

"Nurse Joy are you alright?"

"Yes, he only manged to graze my hand. I might have to sedate him, which I don't want to do, it might traumatize him further." she said with a small amount of sadness in her voice.

"Let me try and calm him down." Ash knelt so he was level with the cage, making eye contact with Sandshrew, he slowly opened the cage door. Talking in a soft gentle voice, he reached in and lightly stroked the mouse pokemon's head. "Its ok little one, you've been through a lot, I know you're really scared right now. The lady behind me is Nurse Joy, she is very nice and just wants to make sure you're ok, before we let you go and find your family. Can I hold you so she can look at you?" Sandshrew stared at Ash for a moment then at Nurse Joy the back to Ash. SlowSlowly he walked to cage door and allowed Ash to pick him up. May was standing a few tables down watching everything happen and couldn't help but smile at how Ash could handle any pokemon and earn their trust, Well except for when Charizard evolved" May thought with a giggle.

Once they had finished examining Sandshrew, Nurse Joy said he was in good health and could be released. Ash carried him around to the back of the center, gently placing the young ground type down he said, "Ok little guy, you're free to go and find your family I'm sure they've been looking for you."

Sandshrew looked at Ash with his head slightly tilted, "Sand sand shrew." he said.

Ash tried to understand what Sandshrew had said but couldn't quite grasp it, Lucario came over to translate for him, "He says that he doesn't have a family, he hatched at the cage area."

"San sand sand sandshrew." he said.

"He says that you seem really nice and that he'd like to be apart your family."

Ash looked at the young pokemon with surprise, "Are you sure you want to come with me and not be free?" Sandshrew looked at Ash and gave a nodded and walked over to him and jumped into his arms. Ash chuckled, "Well then, welcome to the family, but first I need to send someone back to the lab so I can catch you, ok." With that Ash carried Sandshrew back into the Pokemon Center with Lucario by his side. When they got inside, they seen that all the pokemon had been released.