The Kanto Journals: A Pokemon Crossover

Chapter 33: The Truth Shall Set You Prix

The large group of trainers didn't have to walk for too long when they already found themselves on the outskirts of Celadon City and on their way to Route 16. Arndolfr and Ash were busy exchanging their experiences regarding battles and the Pokémon they have caught so far. Lucy was busy explaining to Misty and Brock how her Trozei Beamer worked, while Lt. Surge and Randy had their heads together regarding their own training regimens. It was a small group of people buzzing with their own conversations as they traversed Route 16 towards the middle of the day.

All of their conversations ended abruptly when all of them noticed a lone Pokémon in the middle of the road. It looked like it was training by itself.

"Is that what I think it is?" Arndolfr crowed in amazement.

Randy let out a chuckle. "If I didn't know any better, that's a Hitmonchan, and I know for a fact that it's a very rare Pokémon, even in the Kanto Region where it's native."

"Well, rare or not, I guess I'll just have to catch it then!" Ash belted out as he set Pikachu on the ground and started teaching him some fighting moves.

"I didn't know Ash would do good as a coach," Misty snickered from behind Arndolfr. "He's normally jump into battle immediately without thinking things through."

"Pokémon and trainers learn by doing, I daresay," Lt. Surge uttered, not really paying attention to what Ash is doing.

"It's true," Randy agreed, and took a small, maroon notebook from the inside of his jacket and began writing something.

"And it was something I have barely done when I was still in Trainers' School," Arndolfr added, managing to peek on Randy's notebook, which was full of sentences barely readable because of Randy's bad handwriting.

Watching Ash train his Pikachu for a battle against a Hitmonchan, I think it would be memorable to write down what they do during their brief training.

Ash might not be a good coach on boxing itself, but the way he communicates with his Pikachu is something other trainers should take note of. The way Ash looks at Pikachu thoughtfully while trying to give him directions would indeed be beneficial in order to strengthen the bond between trainer and Pokémon.

"It's kind of fascinating that you also keep a journal in your person, Mr. Randy, sir," Arndolfr piped up, still looking at Randy's notebook.

"Oh this?" Randy said, gesturing at his notebook. "This is no journal at all, though you may call it a journal, if you prefer. But it's more proper to call it a commonplace book. What I write here would be things I see, sounds I hear, almost everything that I deem important or interesting."

Ash seemed to take even more time training Pikachu so Randy flipped to a previous page and showed two sentences scrawled in the pages that were enclosed in quotation marks. The top sentence read, "Gary was here, Ash is a loser." The bottom one read, "This is why you'll stay single for life. - Arndolfr Crane"

"I found these inscriptions on a signpost on the outskirts of Cerulean City as I tried my luck in finding the venue for the P1 Grand Prix near the entrance to Mount Moon," said Randy. "I know for a fact that the Ash mentioned there would be the very same Ash we're with right now. These other two people, on the other hand, I'm not very sure as I haven't met them already."

Arndolfr was ready to explain to Randy that he was the one named Arndolfr Crane, since he has only told him his nickname, but as he was about to correct Randy for it, Ash then ordered Pikachu to start the battle with the Hitmonchan.

"Best of luck to you, Ash!" Lucy cheered from behind Brock.

"Yeah, Ash!" followed Misty. "You'll really need it!"