*RUMBLE*
Ash groaned, his eyes slowly opening. He had been resting, waiting for a better moment to continue his journey. Yet he didn't expect for the weather to be against him. The rumbles that came from the sky were telling him that it was only going to get worse. He forced himself awake, immediately soaking himself as soon as he exited the tent that he had built beforehand. He almost stumbled, his feet colliding with a rock that had been nearby his tent. Though he managed to keep a steady position, as his movements were swift and precise.
*CRASH*
"Shit..." He swore, his eyes widening quite greatly at the fact that the thunderstrike landed near his tent. He pressured himself into fastening the process of packing everything in his backpack. He definitely didn't want to get charred by thunder as he rushed through everything. He gritted his teeth, a sudden shiver going through all of his spine. He even looked at his belt, where all of his six Poké Balls were hanging off. Sighing in relief, Ash quickly finished the remaining items that he had to pack.
*CRASH*
Ash didn't look back, his feet already carrying him far away from the location he had been resting on. He didn't even register that he had been running through a forest. The lush of the woods now seemingly haunted by the weather. He knew well enough that there was a Pokémon Center nearby, a place where he could finally rest from the disastrous weather that had caught him unaware. To be sure, however, he checked his Pokétch to see if he was running in the correct direction.
He sighed in relief, noticing that he was running straight to the Pokémon Center. It would be a matter of time before he would be able to reach the safety of the building. Yet as soon as he managed to open his eyes a bit more, since he was covering them from the water, he saw something that made him sick. A sight that would haunt him for quite some time. Because in front of him was a Pokémon, a Starter Pokémon to be exact, in a cutdown tree in the middle of the road. And the Pokémon on top of the cutdown tree was close to dying.
The Pokémon is a bipedal, reptilian Pokémon with a primarily white body and red eyes. Its underside from the chest down and the soles of its feet are gray-colored. It has two small fangs visible in its upper jaw and two smaller fangs in its lower jaw. A light blue-white fire burns at the tip of this Pokémon's slender tail, flame that was diminishing in size by the second. This is a Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon and one of the three Starter Pokémon of the Kanto region.
Starter Pokémon were mostly extinct, protected carefully by the Pokémon League to bring the species once more. He had been told by Professor Oak, when he had been in that summer camp, that harming or letting any Starter Pokémon die; it could be considered the heaviest of crimes. So, he acted on instinct, picking up the weak Charmander up in his arms before he kept running to the Pokémon Center.
He felt just how the Charmander began to struggle against his hold, trying to escape from his grasp. But he didn't let him, holding him tighter than before. He even began to use his aura, even if most of its use was by instinct. His aura began to warm him and the weak Charmander that he had on his arms. He even felt just how the Lizard Pokémon began to relax in his hold thanks to his aura. He was close, he knew that it would be a matter of time before he would reach the Pokémon Center that was supposed to be nearby.
And it was then that he saw it, the Pokémon Center of Route Six. The building looked like a comfortable shack; a building made of logs. But Ash knew that he didn't have the luxury of actually asking for something modern to stay in. He just needed a roof under his head and Nurse Joy to help the Charmander that he found on his way to the Center. He wasn't that far off from the Center, his legs carrying him towards the entrance of the building. And he was not waiting a second more, his back colliding with the door and opening it to be able to enter the building,
"Nurse Joy!" He yelled, his eyes going towards the Charmander in his grasp. He was trying to keep the Fire-Type Pokémon alive with his aura, but even he knew that it was not enough. The Pokémon needed medical attention and fast, which was something that he had no expertise in. "Nurse Joy!" He yelled again, desperation in his voice as he noticed the flame on Charmander's tail diminishing greatly. The small ember that remained could easily be burned off by a soft gust. And Ash feared the consequences of what it would mean to let Charmander die in his watch. "Nurse Joy!"
"I'm coming!" He heard a feminine voice calling out. He sighed slightly though still worried about the Pokémon in his grasp. He walked forward as soon as he saw the pink hair of the nurse. His hands practically gave the Charmander to the nurse. He could see just how the nurse opened her eyes in realization, as if she knew just who the Charmander was. He even heard the low gasp that she let out as soon as she noticed the tail of the Charmander. "Chansey! Prepare intensive care!"
"I found him on the bark of a tree... I couldn't leave him there..." Ash tried to explain, giving a small yet simple explanation as to why he had the Starter Pokémon in his hand. But he could see that the Nurse was more concentrated on the slowly dying Pokémon than on his words. But he wouldn't have it any other way, his eyes looking just at how Chansey started to take care of the Charmander he had saved.
"I never believed that he would stay there even with the weather being like this" Nurse Joy said, which immediately got his attention. That sentence alone let him know that the nurse knew exactly who the Pokémon he had just saved was. His eyes staring at her made the nurse blush slightly, which made him raise a brow in question. Don't get him wrong, he could definitely see just how attractive the nurse was, but he definitely didn't know the reason as to why she was blushing right at this moment, when there was a Pokémon on the verge of death nearby. "He has gone too far with this..."
"Can you tell me everything, Nurse Joy?" Ash asked, really worried for the Charmander that was being taken care of by Nurse Joy's Chansey. He needed to know if there was a way for him to be able to help the Charmander in question, to be able to save his life. He didn't care whether the Starter Pokémon joined him or not, he wanted him to stay alive. "I want to help Charmander..." Ash looked at the now sleeping Pokémon, his chest going up and down slowly. He was frustrated, his uselessness in being able to help Charmander being shown in his eyes. He wished he could do something for him, to get him out of the pain he apparently placed himself in. "So, I need to know his story"
"It's his trainer..." The nurse whispered, which made Ash raise his brow in curiosity. A trainer doing such a thing towards a Starter Pokémon, even while knowing the repercussions of said actions? Whoever the trainer was, must be an idiotic one. Just abandoning a Pokémon was grave enough, but almost involuntarily causing said Pokémon to die was even worse. "He is obsessed with power. Always capturing the best of the best" Ash narrowed his eyes at that. While he would have commented something about that specific topic, he was not going to start a controversial conversation at this moment in time. "But... He told Charmander to wait for him there, at the tree where you find it. I tried to convince him that he had been abandoned, but he didn't listen..."
Ash tightened his fist, his hands turning to white because of the force he was giving out. He was going to find whoever ordered Charmander to stay there to die. He was going to make that trainer face justice, even if it took weeks to do so. For him, it was the act of purposely trying to harm a Pokémon that was making him this angry. Such an act was unforgivable in his eyes, whether he was an Aura Guardian or not. He was going to protect every single Pokémon out there, and he could swear it without any hesitation.
"Do... Do you know the name of his trainer?" Ash said through gritted teeth. He tried to reign his anger down, he really tried to. But he noticed just how the nurse took a slight step back in fear, even when her cheeks were completely red. He did not know if it was from embarrassment or something else, nor did he care at the moment. All he was thinking about was the trainer he needed to find to give Charmander inner peace. Because this was unforgivable in anyone's eyes, and he didn't know just how someone could mistreat a Pokémon as a mere slave.
He had been taught that Pokémon were like family, an extension of friends that overtime were closer than even family itself. And while Ash knew that none of his Pokémon would be able to substitute his mother, his long dead brother, his cousin and, surprisingly enough, his uncle; he knew that they were becoming as important as his real family was to him. And seeing not only any Charmander but an albino one suffering through this, it made his blood boil.
"Damian... His name is Damian" He could hear the disdain in her voice, as if she had many reasons as to why she should be angry at him. And quite honestly, he could not fault her one bit. He didn't even know this trainer and he already wanted to teach him a lesson in what a real Pokémon Trainer looked like. Which is why he wanted to go out as soon as possible to make him regret leaving Charmander to die. "But be careful if you go face him! He has many strong Pokémon in his arsenal!"
"He could have a legendary Pokémon for all I care... And he will still learn a lesson of not mistreating any kind of Pokémon" A slight raging growl escaped from his lips, but he did try to reign in his anger. Right now, nothing should be on his mind except for taking care of Charmander. Nodding to himself, he picked a specific Poké Ball from his belt. He smiled slightly as he saw Evelyn raising her head towards him, a slight tilt to her head asking him the unsaid question. "There is a Pokémon here that I just saved... Can you take care of him for a bit, Evelyn? He might be happy to see more Pokémon that have the same trait as him"
"It will be an honor to help a brother in need, my liege" He slightly sweat dropped, but let Evelyn go to the room to stay with the Charmander. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the slight shocked expression from the nurse. Something that he had been getting accustomed to quickly. He already knew his Pokémon were rare, even more so than this Shiny trait people seemed to be obsessed with. So having to daily see the reactions of each trainer he would face along the way had been a way to accustomed himself to such reactions.
"If I didn't know better, I would say that the Charmander was yours to begin with..." Ash chuckled alongside the nurse, both looking just how Evelyn positioned herself on the chair beside the medical bed and while Chansey kept administering the remaining medicine the Charmander needed to get better. He even noticed the couple of Heal Pulse that Chansey released from her mouth to better heal the Charmander. "But having to deal with him almost daily, made him know each and every single Pokémon that he has. And I certainly remember him boasting about capturing a Starter Pokémon that looked unusual to the appearance of any other Charmander he has seen" Ash sighed, but it was then that the nurse grabbed his hands with her own. The two looked at each other directly into each other's eyes. While Ash was only confused as to why the Nurse did such a thing, he could clearly see the blush the nurse had at this very moment. "Please, help Charmander escape from him"
"I will..." He smiled slightly, looking just how the nurse smiled in return. He could see and feel that she was an exemplary nurse, someone to look up to. So, he was going to do his best to do this self-appointed mission to the best of his capabilities. It was then that both of them were alarmed by the chime that was coming from the desk, the same one he avoided because of the urgency that was Charmander. The two walked slowly towards the desk, only to notice the nurse stop with a cold visage in her eyes.
"Heya nurse~ Heal my strong team, will ya?" It was then that Ash could feel just how arrogant the trainer across from the desk was. Anyone with eyes could see the ego pouring out of each pore in his body, and Ash could even see the hidden smug smile he had on his face. And don't get him started on the leering eyes that were practically undressing the nurse right at this moment. He wanted to walk forward, protect the nurse from such humiliation. Yet, even with his current strength, he knew next to nothing about the trainer in front of the two. But he was glaring at him, one so hard that could actually kill a grown man, was completely ignored by the trainer that was still undressing Nurse Joy with his eye. "I have to return to training so I can become the next champion. And maybe you can join me, if you know what I mean~"
"Never, Damian..." It was then that Ash really had to hold himself back. Standing right in front of him was not only the one who was shamelessly flirting with Nurse Joy, but the one who mistreated the now healing Charmander. His knuckles turned white, with slight blood dripping down his hand. And he knew that the nurse next to him saw the blood pouring down his hands, if the worried glance she sent him was anything to take notice of.
"Hey, rookie. Lay your hands of Joy!" He blinked, his eyes looking straight at the trainer. The man was trying to make an intimidating look, yet it resulted in such an ugly face that Ash almost choked on his own to start laughing. But he held it in, same with the anger he had inside of him right now. Yet there was something that kept him worried. Something that he felt that would doom the trainer in front of him badly. "She is mine, you hear? And only I deserve her worry, her anger, and her love~"
As each word kept on escaping the man's lips, it was clear to see just how obnoxious the man really was. It made him sick and embarrassing to even see a fellow trainer acting in such a way. Yet he did not comment anything about it. He just kept silent, his eyes staring at the pitiful trainer in front of him. He slightly narrowed his eyes, seeing just how the trainer began to ignore him once more and starting his focus on the nurse once again. It was then that his hand moved automatically, his left hand detaining the approaching hand of the other trainer in a tight grip as soon as he noticed where Damian wanted to touch Nurse Joy.
"Hey punk! I told you to-"
"Stop! Just stop!" Ash released the hand of the other trainer as soon as he heard Joy shout in complete anger. A slight glance to the female, and he managed to see that she had paled quite a bit as if realizing what Damian was trying to do. "I have kept quiet to see if you would turn into a better trainer, but I can see that you are a lost cause!" Ash even had to gulp a bit at actually hearing Nurse Joy's reaction. It was understandable from her point of view, but he never expected to actually be in front of an angered Joy once more. And imagine his surprise when even Damian took a step back realizing what was actually happening. "I will be calling the league to get your trainer license revoked!"
"You can't do that, bitch! I am supposed to be the next champion!" It was then that Damian tried to attack the nurse, even when there was a desk in between the two. Ash could see just how slow the hand went, the destination being the nurse robe of Joy. He acted once again, his hand stopping the other trainer in his track. But he definitely did not stop there, twisting the hand a bit, Ash broke the wrist of the trainer with the biggest ego he will ever see. Ash ignored the scream that came from Damian's mouth, hurling the egotistical man into the ground and pinning him to the ground.
"You can do your call, Nurse Joy" Ash made a bit of pressure on the trainer who kept trying to escape the hold. He kept his focus on Damian, ignoring the pair of eyes that he was feeling on the back of his neck. Yet it quickly went away, hearing slight shuffles in the back, imagining that Nurse Joy was looking for the phone to call the Pokémon League and the police. He didn't dare to move an inch, didn't dare to let go of the man who mistreated Charmander and tried to have his way with the nurse. The man was going to face Justice, one way or another.
Time Skip
"Thank you for apprehending this trainer, Ash" Ash just chuckled sheepishly at the words directed to him. It had been a total chaos after he stopped Damian from assaulting Nurse Joy. In a matter of minutes, the Pokémon League was already there with a few Officers Jenny and Charles Goodshow himself. He even saw a few of the rumored G-Men surrounding the director of the Pokémon League, with a red-haired man being the most vigilant of the four operatives that were there. "He was not on our radar, yet he has done many things that would have gotten him banned from ever participating in the Indigo Plateau"
"Happy to help, mister Goodshow!" Ash replied with much enthusiasm, yet his expression fell as soon as he recognized two of the officers that were there in the Center. While most officers would appear nearly identical to one another, he had been getting quite proficient with his aura. And he definitely recognized the two auras of the female duo that tried to stop him from healing Ambrose back in Viridian City. He could even recall the aura of Professor Oak and the aura of both his mother and his uncle. It frustrated him that he only seemed to recognize the auras of the people he met after he went on his journey, he would have tried to seek out his cousin if he could recall his aura signature. "What is-"
"You see, while I officially apologized to you in the name of the league, they have not done so as members of the police department of the Kanto region" Charles explained, making the young Aura Guardian nod slowly at that. It was true that everything happened due to a misunderstanding from both parties, he still was resentful that the two officers didn't even try to verify his words on the matter. Though it was then that he walked forward, approaching one of the two officers. His eyes stared directly into the amber eyes of the officer, immediately noticing that the female turned red as soon as he started staring directly at her.
He stayed silent, just looking at the female squirm under his stare. Whether it was from embarrassment or was it because the female found him attractive, he did not know. He even noticed the slight trembles that her body was making, which only made him think of the possibility of the female being scared of him as well. He just sighed, not wanting to dwell on the past. He had already saved Ambrose, there was nothing to apologize for from their end.
"Just remember to know every fact before you try and make an arrest..." Ash sighed, turning around to walk towards the director of the Pokémon League. He sounded way more tired than what he should have sounded like. He was just a young ten-year-old trainer and he sounded older because of his reasoning. He would have blamed the aura awakening inside of him, but he knew that what made him more conscious was the fact that he did not want to find out what this academy his uncle was talking about. "I am happy just knowing that Charmander is getting help from Nurse Joy to care about something that doesn't matter any longer"
"That disappointment? The waste of space should have been happy that I owned him for that long!" Damian spouted from his restraints, which only made Ash stop mid-way into the door. Everything stopped, Ash even felt just how the vein on his forehead throb quite visibly. He was trying to control his anger, the nonsense spouted by the already detained trainer seemingly having the desired effect on him. Yet Ash won't give him the luxury to see him angry, wouldn't give him a sight that would surely traumatize the trainer that had been close to assaulting Nurse Joy. So, with a final breath, he went out of the area and straight towards Charmander's room.
Ash kept walking, his eyes serving as a way to avoid the various objects that were in the way of reaching the resting room of the albino Charmander that he had rescued. But Ash didn't even reach the halfway point, his senses feeling two signatures right behind him. He glanced back, immediately noticing Charles Goodshow alongside the red-haired G-Men that was accompanying him. Ash stopped, confused as to why the two followed him towards Charmander's room.
"Once again, I thank you for your assistance, Ash" He only raised a brow, noticing a few things with his aura. The red-haired operative was strong, if the aura that his Pokémon have is to be believed. But the confusing part was not that the trainer was strong, it was the fact that he could feel the aura of yet another Pokémon near Charles. "I have this gift for you, young guardian" It was then that Ash finally saw the Poké Ball that Charles had been seemingly hiding behind his back. His eyes moving back and forth from the Poké Ball in Charles' hand and straight into the director's eyes. He repeated the same action twice, before he blinked in total confusion. "The operatives from the G-Men had found him recently in the wild. And I think he would be a very valuable Pokémon to have on your journey" Ash seemingly nodded at the words of the director. His eyes curiously glanced at the Poké Ball that had been handed to him by the director. He immediately wondered what kind of Pokémon was the one found by the G-Men. But he could dive deeper a bit later, he needed to recall Evelyn so that she could rest for a bit and be there for the Charmander that he managed to save from death. "I also went out of my way to give you privilege of being able to hold as many Pokémon as you may want, so you can be able to train with every single one of them"
"Thank you, director..." Ash bowed a bit in thanks, actually grateful to the director of the Pokémon League. While he had no problem with letting some of his Pokémon, he preferred to have them as close to him as possible. He did have to eventually send one of them towards Pallet Town so Professor Oak could gather some data and send it to that friend he had told him about. But he was happy as things were for now, so he hoped the professor would be willing to wait a bit longer. But something caught Ash's attention, the grip of the old man on his cane had tightened with his grip making his hand a bit pale. It happened for a second, a second that was long enough to have him wondering about what it was about.
"Ash, right?" Ash looked to the G-Men besides Charles Goodshow, the black mask covering the eyes of the red-haired male operative that was also there. He could make an educated guess as to who the man actually was, but he did not want to risk diving into matters that are not his own. He had much on his plate with winning all of his region's badges and trying to not join his uncle's academy was a priority in his mind. "In the name of the G-Men, I would like to thank you for catching the man known as Damian. We will now be able to find if he was working with someone and better protect the Pokémon that live alongside us" Ash did smile a bit at the words of the operative. He could slightly feel that apart from being a very strong trainer, he had a mindset of a just man. He could always support that kind of man being the one responsible for keeping them all safe from harm. "And we hope that the Pokémon one of my team caught will have a safe haven with you and your team"
"I will do my best to take care of whichever Pokémon may be inside..." And with that, Ash bid his farewell to the duo that had followed him briefly. He walked slowly, not wanting to disrupt the rest of any other Pokémon that may be around in the Pokémon Center. With a steady walk, he eventually made his way to the location of the room where Charmander was resting. Opening it slowly, his ears immediately caught the constant sounds made by the machines to monitor Charmander's vitals. He even caught Evelyn sleeping in the nearest chair, which only made him smile. Recalling her back to her very own Poké Ball, he sat on the same seat his Pokémon previously was and began to monitor the unconscious Pokémon in the medical bed.
--- --- ---
Time Skip
He groaned, his body completely tired and weak. He felt things all over his chest, the cold sensation over his scales. His eyes couldn't even open fully, but even then, he tried to see what was around. He immediately noticed that he was in the Pokémon Center, easily recognizing the walls of the building he has visited frequently over the past two months. He had a slight shiver from his head and straight into his tail just imagining what would have happened to him. He just wanted to be a good Pokémon, to be accepted for who he truly was and not be judged for the color of his scales. It was then that he moved his neck, moving it slowly because of the numbness that he was actually feeling.
It was then that his red eyes immediately saw a human that was not his own trainer and while he didn't know why, he could feel connected to this human. Was this unknown trainer the one that saved him from the storm? He wanted to say something, wake the human up and try to communicate with him. He wanted to understand everything that had happened during his time sleeping. But his throat hurt badly, only being able to make a soft wheeze from his mouth. He gave in, though not before moving his tiny yet sharp clawed hand towards the available hand of the trainer that was there with him. He placed it over the trainer's hand and immediately felt a warmth that he only had heard in the stories that his own mother had told him before they separated long ago. So, he closed his eyes once more, just enjoying the feeling he got.
--- --- ---
Time Skip
He was re-entering the room where Charmander was resting with a tray of food. He had asked for the food from the small cafeteria the Pokémon Center had. He went to the medical wing to stay with Charmander because he wanted to know when the Pokémon would wake up as soon as possible. He placed the tray on the table that was there and started to eat. Thankfully, Nurse Joy was currently providing all of his remaining Pokémon food for the time being. So, he was there alone with the Charmander and the new Pokémon that he had received from the director of the Pokémon League.
A soft growl echoed through the room, which made him react instantly. His eyes looked to the side, immediately watching as the still weak Charmander was trying to look his way. He could recognize the Lizard Pokémon looking at him with bewilderment, as if trying to see further into who he truly was. And that made him smile a bit, actually reminding him of how Evelyn was before she began to trust in him a bit more. Which made him leave his food unattended and move closer to the curious Pokémon that kept looking his way.
"Hey..." It seems that his whisper managed to get Charmander out of the current state that he was in. Ash immediately saw the Lizard Pokémon trying to move back but flinched in slight pain. He finished closing the distance between the two, helping the Charmander position himself in a more relaxing position than before. "Try not to strain yourself, you are still a bit weak" He could see the utter confusion in the eyes of the Lizard Pokémon on the medical bed. He could slightly understand why the Pokémon was confused by his actions of care, probably not receiving any care from that Damian guy. Only thinking about that trainer made him angry, but he exhaled a bit before breathing again and calming himself. "I'm Ash"
"I'm Kenneth... But it is not like you are going to understand me anyways" The newly named Kenneth greeted back, looking sideways as he finished communicating his words. Ash held the urge to chuckle, it would give away the fact that he could actually understand the words of the Lizard Pokémon that was in the clinic. He did smile though, fully enjoying just how Charmander's tail kept swaying slowly left and right. He patted the Lizard Pokémon's head, which made Kenneth close his eyes in a quick reaction.
"I'm happy that you are a bit better now, Kenneth" He saw just how the Lizard Pokémon looked at him with wide eyes. His eyes looked carefully at the slightly increasing flame of Charmander's tail, knowing full well that the flame could determine just how healthy the Pokémon was. "Can I ask you something really quick?" He asked before the Pokémon could even try and babble in confusion as to how he knew that Kenneth was his name. He knew that the Charmander was smarter than what he was letting himself look like. It would be a matter of time before Kenneth could guess that he was an Aura Guardian. "I would like you to join my team. Will you join me?"
"I can't... And even if I wanted to, I am owned by another trainer" Ash slightly flinched at the cruel reality that was their world. People would often say that this generation was the generation where humans and Pokémon were finally walking side by side and helping each other. But the harsh truth was that while the Pokémon would eventually learn to respect or care for the respective trainer, that the true relationship worked in comparison to a master with their slaves. It was a crude way to see the world, but it was something Ash quickly learned to differentiate.
"Damian, right? He was arrested for Pokémon negligence and assault at a Pokémon Nurse" Ash stated, repeating word for word what he remembered the operative from the G-Men telling the guy. He could slightly admit that he definitely did not know the full meaning of some of the words, but he could definitely determine that it was because of the harsh treatment his Pokémon received from him and because he tried to touch Nurse Joy without her consent. His words made Charmander look down, and he actually felt sorry for Kenneth.
"My liege, everyone has finished-" Ash looked back to see Evelyn accompanied by Aaron at the door. He definitely heard a slight squawk exiting Evelyn's beak as he could guess that she saw Kenneth awake and probably looking at his Pokémon with widened eyes. "You should be resting! Don't you know how much my liege risked saving you from the rain!" Ash chuckled seeing just how Evelyn was already overprotecting Kenneth greatly. He even saw Aaron sway his head left and right in amusement. And he could also see Kenneth on the verge of tears as Evelyn kept on going with whatever speech she came up with. "And don't get me started on-"
"Evelyn... I think Ken had enough" His voice got him two reactions, another slight squawk from Evelyn and a faint gasp from Kenneth. He thought that he could show the Lizard Pokémon that he would always be there for him by calling out his name in a more friendly way. Though it got him exactly what he wanted, the Lizard Pokémon was actually smiling for the first time since the two started talking. "Ken... You won't be alone any longer. You will have us now" His words seemingly struck a chord on the Charmander. A lone tear escaped from the Starter Pokémon from the Kanto Region, which only made Ash conscious of the struggles that he must have gone through before actually receiving care from someone. "So, what do you say?"
"I... I don't want to be alone any longer..." Ash just smiled and motioned for Evelyn to take care of the rest. He saw just how the Charmander tensed as soon as his Pidgeotto made a move to console him in a slight hug. He kept on his smile, with it furthering a bit more as he noticed Ken actually returning the hug. He took an empty Poké Ball and was about to present it to Kenneth but placed it back where it was. He would wait until Kenneth was fully healed, and only then would he capture the Lizard Pokémon. "Can I really go with you? H-He won't return, right?"
"He will never be able to do something to you again, I promise" Ash promised, carefully watching as the Lizard Pokémon let himself unleash the anguish and suffering. By then, even Aaron approached the sobbing Fire-Type Starter Pokémon from Kanto. It hurt him to see Pokémon suffering, and it was even harder to see just how this suffering had affected them. "Ken... Just try to get better. I will catch you after Nurse Joy tells me you are good to go" He could still see the Charmander crying, though he also had a weak smile on his face as he nodded to his words. It was then that he thought that he should also introduce their newest team member to the group of three. Grabbing the Poké Ball that Director Goodshow gave him, he tossed it slowly forward.
As the Poké Ball opened, the red digital light started to form the Pokémon that had been patiently waiting inside. The Pokémon is a bipedal mammalian Pokémon that is primarily white. Its face is kite-shaped with a small, pale gray snout and two short, pointed ears with pale gray interiors. Ash immediately noticed that its eyes were closed. Its body is segmented with black skin slightly visible between its joints and along its neck. It has two gray, pauldron-shaped extensions on its shoulders, as well as a gray, fauld-like piece around its chest. It has three digits on each hand and foot, but its fingers are considerably shorter than its toes. Two of its toes face forward and one faces backward. Its tail is thick and long, with a brown band located near the tip. Ash immediately made the connection that the Pokémon is in fact an Abra, who had the category as the Psy Pokémon.
"Confusion. Where am I?" Ash blinked, the speech pattern was a bit weird compared to the way his other Pokémon spoke. He had adapted to them speaking in such a way, but this was more than what he expected. He could see the Abra looking around the room, the eyes of the Psy Pokémon still closed. Ash could tell that Abra was probably using his psychic powers to see his surroundings. Ash also noticed that the other Pokémon were also looking at the new Pokémon in the room. "Observation. I have been given to you?"
"You could say that..." He sweat dropped slightly, still not understanding just why the Psy Pokémon was talking in such a way. But he ignored it, preferring to save himself the headache that he would probably get if he asked such a question to the Abra in front of him. Though he still needed to understand the Pokémon he had received from the Pokémon League. He knew that Eleanor was way too straightforward to even try something that could harm his team. But the Psy Pokémon was robotic with his words. Ash was slightly uncomfortable with it, but he would try his best to support the new Albino Pokémon. "I'm Ash and the-"
"Halt. I know everything, young Guardian of Aura" The Abra interrupted the trainer, and Ash immediately noticed that everyone was looking at the Psy Pokémon with curiosity apart from the Lizard Pokémon, who just let out a slight gasp from his mouth. Ash could only scratch the back of his neck softly, waiting for the Psy Pokémon to finish. "Continuation. I have been looking for you for quite some time, young Guardian. A strong power resides within you, young Guardian" Ash saw just how the Abra opened his eyes slowly, revealing his dotted red eye with no sclera. As soon as he saw the eyes of the Psychic-Type Pokémon, it was no longer there. Abra closed his eyes as fast as he opened them to begin with, but he had managed to see the eyes of the Pokémon even if it was for that sliver of a moment. "Request. I wish to join your eventful adventure and proceed to elevate your greatness"
"I will always let someone willing join my team" Ash replied, which only made the Psy Pokémon smile a bit at that. Ash could see his other Pokémon already there and looking happy for their trainer. While not all of his Pokémon were there, the ones that were there were nodding their respective heads at him. It only convinced him even more of becoming strong enough to meet the standards that his Pokémon seemingly had of him. "Though, I still do not know your name"
"Observation. It seems that I have forgotten to introduce myself" The Psy Pokémon communicated with a slight hum at the end of his words. Ash could tell that even with all of his intellect, that the Abra could be forgetful at times. But he knew that it would only bring even more interactive situations between all of his Pokémon. And he honestly could not wait to see the faces of the others at the pattern of speech that Abra had. "My name is Harry. And it is my pleasure to be one of the Pokémon of the one who will protect us all"
Ash still did not understand what his role in all of this was. And he knew that his Pokémon had limited knowledge about the topic itself. Ash would have to keep on looking for the meaning that those words really meant. But for now, he could appreciate the feeling of accomplishment he had at actually gaining new members to his team. He was going to try his best to protect them all. He needed to master his aura at a faster rate, and he also needed to continue training with his aura alongside Aaron. But Ash knew one thing, that his future was going to be a very eventful one.