Licht turned back when he heard footsteps, only to see a girl with bright orange hair running toward them, carrying a completely ruined bicycle on her back. The moment Ash spotted her, he instinctively hid behind Licht.
The girl stopped in front of them, still glaring at Ash with gritted teeth.
"You! What did you do to my bicycle?"
Ash, still hiding, peeked out from behind Licht.
"Um… y-you see, I can explain…"
"Ya you better explain yourself clearly," she shot back. "Not only did you ruin my bicycle, but you left me alone in that storm with those Spearows! I was freezing and completely soaked!"
Licht let out a small sigh, rubbing his temple. Then he gently grabbed Ash's head and lowered it in an apologetic bow.
"We're really sorry about what happened. We'll make sure to compensate you."
Hearing that, the girl's anger dimmed a little. She looked at Licht properly for the first time. "And you are…?"
"I'm Licht Ketchum, and this is my little brother, Ash Ketchum," Licht said. He calmly explained what had happened from their side.
When he finished, the girl exhaled, looking at Ash and Pikachu. "So…that huge lightning strike hit your Pikachu and destroy my cycle?"
"Um… yeah. I'm really sorry about everything. I'll pay you back somehow," Ash said, eyes lowered.
The girl rubbed her temple this time. "Forget it. You were just trying to save your Pokémon."
Licht smiled slightly. Misty might be hot-headed, but she was clearly kind-hearted underneath.
"We still don't know your name yet."
"Oh sorry. I was so angry I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Misty, from Cerulean City," she said, finally calming down.
Licht already knew who she was, but he played along. "Misty, huh? I think I've heard that name somewhere."
"N-no, no, it must be your imagination, hahaha…" Misty laughed awkwardly, a sweat drop forming.
"Is that so? Well, it's a great name," Licht said. Then he added, "Misty, how about you come with us to Viridian City? Now that your cycle is gone, walking all the way will take the whole day. And I'd like to make up for our mistake."
Misty blinked, caught off guard by the sudden kindness and the compliment.
"R-Really? Uh… thanks," she said, rubbing the back of her neck.
When Licht invited her, Misty hesitated for a moment before letting out a small sigh. "Well… I guess I don't really have a choice now that my bike's fried." She crossed her arms, but a faint smile slipped through. "Fine. I'll come with you guys to Viridian City."
With that settled, the trio continued down the road toward Viridian City. Along the way, Licht and Charmander battled any wild Pokémon that appeared, training as they walked. Ash and Pikachu jumped in from time to time, eager not to fall behind.
"Wow, Licht, your Charmander looks really strong," Misty said, watching Charmander one-shot nearly every Pokémon they encountered.
"Yes! Big brother's Charmander is super strong," Ash added proudly. "But we're catching up to them, right, Pikachu?"
"Pika!" Pikachu chirped, running ahead to walk beside Charmander.
Licht chuckled softly as he watched the two Pokémon trot side by side. "Well… let's just say me and Charmander worked really hard."
-----
By the time evening fell, the group finally reached Viridian City.
"I can finally take a bath!" Misty said, suddenly energized. She took off running toward the Pokémon Center.
Ash and Licht followed behind her, but just as they reached the city entrance, a motorcycle screeched to a stop in front of them. "Hold it, you three!" a woman called out. Officer Jenny jumped off her bike, eyeing them suspiciously. "There are Pokémon thieves running around the city. I need to verify your IDs."
Ash leaned close to Licht and whispered, "Big brother… what do we do? We don't have any ID."
"Just show her your Pokédex," Licht whispered back, already thinking he'd need to give Ash a not-so-fun lecture later.
Ash and Misty quickly held out their Pokédexes. But when Officer Jenny checked Licht's Pokédex, she paused recognition flashing in her eyes. Licht gave a small shake of his head, and she quietly understood, returning his Pokédex with a gentle smile.
"You three should be careful. There have been many cases of Pokémon being stolen lately," Officer Jenny warned. She handed them a wanted poster, then climbed back onto her bike and rode off.
Licht glanced at the poster and chuckled lightly when he saw the Team Rocket logo. Jessie and James might be part of them… but they're not really that evil, he thought. Soon, the group entered the Pokémon Center.
"Hello!" Nurse Joy greeted them with her usual bright, cheerful tone. "How can I help you today?"
"Chansey!" the pink Pokémon added, doing a tiny happy dance.
Misty stepped forward immediately, relief flooding her voice. "Do you have any rooms available for the night?"
"Of course," Nurse Joy said with a warm smile. "We have plenty open."
Misty let out a sigh. "Thank Arceus…"
Licht and Ash stepped up next, holding out Charmander's Pokéball and Pikachu.
"We'll wait here. Our Pokémon need some treatment," Licht said.
"Understood," Nurse Joy replied. She nodded to a pair of Chansey who took Charmander's Pokéball and Pikachu into the back room.
When they were gone, Licht turned to Ash with a mischievous grin. "Hey, Ash… want to make some quick money?" Ash was watching an Indigo League poster on the wall, but hearing this instantly lighting up.
"Yeah! What do we need to do?"
"Oh, nothing much," Licht said casually. "We're just going to scam Professor Oak a little."
"S-Scam… the professor?" Ash hesitated, confused.
"Don't worry, my dear little brother. It's nothing serious," Licht said, patting his shoulder. "Besides, he owes you something for not giving you that Bulbasaur. And I have photos of Ho-oh. That alone could make us millions."
Ash slowly turned toward Licht, eyes sparkling like literal dollar signs.
"Big brother… you're a genius."
Licht laughed maniacally. "Hahaha, of course I am. Now come on let's call Mom first, then we'll scam Professor Oak."
Ash swallowed nervously but followed as Licht walked toward the private video call booths.
They tapped in the number for the Ketchum household. The phone rang a few times.
"Ketchum residence!"
"Hey Mom, it's us," Licht and Ash called.
Her face brightened the instant she saw her boys together. "Oh! Thank Arceus you two are together." She leaned closer to the screen like she could actually reach them. "Is everything okay? Where are you right now?"
Licht and Ash both smiled.
"We're at the Pokémon Center in Viridian City," Licht said.
Delia's eyes widened. A proud smile spread across her face.
"Viridian City already?! Oh, Licht, Ash that's wonderful! It took your father four whole days to get there when he started his journey. He'll be so proud of you two."
Ash flushed a little and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks, Mom. Uh… yeah, it's been kinda crazy. We ran into a flock of Spearow it attacked us. But Big Brother was nearby, so he helped out."
Licht added softly, "Don't worry, Mom. It wasn't anything major."
Delia's expression softened with relief. "Oh, sweeties… I'm so glad you're safe. But make sure you rest, okay? You'll need energy if you're heading through Viridian Forest tomorrow."
"We know, Mom. We will," they said together.
After chatting a bit more, they said goodbye and ended the call. Next, Licht dialed Professor Oak. The screen flickered on showing the back of Oak's head.
"Hello, Licht! Oh! and hello to you too, Ash! I see you both made it to Viridian City safely," Oak said, completely unaware he wasn't facing the camera.
Licht leaned forward, smirking. "Professor… you're looking into the wrong camera. All we can see is the back of your head."
Oak froze. "Hm? The wrong?" He turned the wrong way twice, then the screen suddenly went black. Something clattered loudly. A few seconds later, the feed came back on, this time showing Oak's face slightly off-centre while he pretended nothing happened, casually slurping noodles.
"Ahem! Well, Ash, Licht, I'm glad you made it safely to the Pokémon Center. Now then, tell me who caught the first Pokémon?"
Before Ash could answer, Licht cut in with a grin. "Professor, we're not pretending that didn't just happen… and no, we haven't caught any yet."
Oak blinked, surprised. "Huh? I thought you'd have a whole team by now, Licht. Gary has already sent in eight Pokémon." He sounded a little disappointed.
Ash quickly jumped in. "Forget about that, Professor! We have something way more interesting!"
He rummaged through his bag, pulled out the feather, and held it up to the camera.
"Oh? My boy, what could possibly be more interesting than...." Oak froze mid-sentence. He stared at the shimmering, rainbow colored feather. "That… that looks like..... No, impossible. Ho-Oh hasn't appeared in years. It must be from a shiny Fearow, right? Shinies are rare, after all."
"It's not from a Fearow, Professor," Licht said calmly, lifting his own feather. "It's a Ho-Oh feather."
Oak started sweating instantly. "Haha… L-Licht, now you're helping Ash with his pranks? There's no way that's from Ho-Oh. You must be jok....."
He stopped. His gaze dropped to the Pokédex Licht was now holding in front of the camera its screen clearly showing the data entry and the Photos taken by Licht.
The professor's face went pale. Oak paused, blinked twice, rubbed his eyes… and suddenly screamed, "SHIT...IT'S A GOD-DAMN HO-OH!"
Licht and Ash quickly put the feathers away, carefully tucking them back into their bags. Then they exchanged the biggest, smuggiest grin of their lives.
"My boy, you must send those photos to me! Please....I'll do anything!" Professor Oak said, eyes sparkling like a kid in a candy store. He was breathing a little too heavily from excitement.
Licht nodded thoughtfully, putting on an exaggerated serious face.
"Oh, Professor, you know… if I could, I'd send you the feathers too, but you know we can't give those to anyone. But as for the photos well, me and Ash need some help. I'm not sure if you can do it for us."
Ash nodded intensely beside him, bobbing his head like a Torchic.
"Just say the word, my boy! I'll do everything in my power to fulfil your requests," Oak declared.
Licht leaned closer, smiling sweetly. "Oh, nothing much. We were thinking… maybe you could buy the photos for about ten million Pokédollars, six Ultra Balls, and maybe a Pokémon egg with great potential. One for each of us. I know you can handle that, right, Professor?"
"…" Oak stared at Licht like he was looking at the world's most polite scammer.
"My boy… I can send the money and the Pokéballs," Oak said slowly, "but a good-potential Pokémon egg… I don't think I can do that. You know how hard they are to get. High-potential eggs that aren't wild they're specially bred and kept at League headquarters."
Licht sighed dramatically. "I know, Professor… but imagine this my little brother, travelling through the forest, gets attacked by a Geodude and has to run for his life. Think about it. If he had a Bulbasaur, would he ever need to run?"
Ash instantly put on a heartbreaking expression. Professor Oak looked between them, completely baffled.
Licht seeing Professor was about to open his mouth to respond Licht suddenly leaned in, eyes glinting. Then, out of nowhere, he pulled out an old, torn letter and began reading it out loud. "Oh! My dearest Agatha… it's been so long....."
Oak froze instantly, the color draining from his face. "STOP! Stop, stop my boy, I'll do it!" Oak yelled. "I'll personally go to the League and request the Pokémon eggs! Just.....just tell me what kind you want!"
Ash and Licht looked at each other, then answered in perfect sync: "Psychic type." Licht added, "And it needs to have a three-stage evolution."
"Yes, yes, of course! I'll make it happen. Just send me the Ho-Oh data....okay bye!" Oak blurted out, hanging up so fast he practically broke the machine still thinking how did he get that letter.
The screen went blank.
Both Licht and Ash burst into laughter.
"Big brother, you're the best!" Ash said, wiping tears from his eyes.
Licht grinned. "Your acting was really good, you know, Ash."
Just then, Nurse Joy's voice came over the speakers, announcing that their Pokémon's check-up was complete. The boys headed to the counter.
Pikachu spotted Ash, ran straight to him, and scrambled up his shoulder, greeting Licht with a cheerful, "Pika~!"
Licht picked up Charmander's Pokéball and released him. "How do you feel, Charmander?"
Charmander chirped happily and pumped his little fist in the air.
A moment later, Misty joined them, and the group headed toward the dining area. During the walk, Licht sent the Ho-Oh's photos and data to Professor Oak. Not long after, both Licht and Ash received ten million Pokédollars in their accounts. Oak also mentioned they could pick up their Ultra Balls at the Pewter City Pokémon Center.
Ash stared at the numbers on the screen and grinned like his face was stuck that way.
[Author's Note: Starting from this chapter, Licht, Ash, and the others from pallet town will be using an upgraded version of the Pokédex. It's similar to the Rotom Dex from the later games, but without Rotom. This new model was developed by Professor Oak. It functions as a Pokédex, Trainer ID, and a regular phone. Since phone and video-call technology isn't very advanced yet, only Licht's Pokédex includes a camera module. His device also contains Pokémon data from the Kanto to Sinnoh regions.]
Misty leaned toward Licht, whispering, "Hey… what happened to Ash? Why's he grinning like an idiot?"
Licht chuckled softly. "Well… it seems he's very, happy."
Misty, still not fully understanding what had just happened, shook her head but quietly trailed after the two brothers.
The three of them sat around a small table in the dining area. Pikachu happily licked a ketchup bottle, chirping with pure joy. Charmander sat beside Licht, tail flame glowing steadily as he munched on his food with bright, excited 'Char...Charmander'.
Everything felt peaceful…Until the lights suddenly flickered.
Misty froze. "Uh… did the power just?"
A loud crash echoed through the hallway.
Ash jumped to his feet. "What was that?!"
Licht didn't waste a second. The three of them ran toward the noise just as a section of the wall exploded outward. Dust and debris filled the air.
And then…
Jessie stepped out of the smoke with a confident smirk.
"Prepare for trouble!"
James followed right beside her, perfectly synced.
"And make it double!"
They struck their dramatic poses.
Misty groaned. "Who are these clowns…?"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
Meowth slid between them with a wide grin.
"Meowth! That's right!"
Jessie pointed straight at the trio. "We're here for the Pokémon! Hand them over nice and easy!"
James nodded proudly. "A clean, quick robbery!"
Ash and Misty stared at Meowth, stunned. "H-he can talk?"
Licht sighed with a small smile. "Guess dinner's on pause." Then he glanced at Ash signaling him to get ready.
Ash, noticing clenched his fists. "Yeah… Pikachu, let's go!"
"Pika!"
Charmander also hopped forward, tail burning brighter. "Stay close, Charmander," Licht said.
James stepped back and threw his Poké Ball. "Go, Koffing!"
"Koffing!"
Jessie joined in. "Ekans, you're up!"
"Ekansss!"
Meowth cracked his knuckles. "We're taking' everything!"
James pointed forward. "Koffing, Sludge attack now!"
Koffing spat a glob of sludge straight at Ash and Pikachu. Ash reacted instantly. "Pikachu, dodge left! Then Quick Attack!" Pikachu darted to the side and slammed into Koffing's body.
"Koff!"
Jessie panicked. "Ekans! Bite that Charmander!"
Ekans lunged.
"Charmander, sidestep and counter with Iron Tail!" Charmander reacted quickly, slipping to the side and striking Ekans with a sharp tail swing. Ekans recoiled with a hiss.
Meowth leapt in from the side. "Take this!"
Licht didn't flinch. "Charmander, jump back and use Ember!" Charmander hopped away and blasted fire at the spot Meowth landed.
Meowth yelped, tail smoking. "Hot! Hot! HOT!"
James growled. "Koffing, Smokescreen!" A cloud of thick purple smoke filled the room.
Ash coughed. "I can't see anything! Pikachu, stay close!" Pikachu squeaked in response.
Licht closed his eyes for a moment, using his aura sense to track the movement inside the smoke. "Charmander, on your left," he said calmly.
Charmander nodded and tilted his head slightly. Just as Ekans burst out of the smoke.
"Now Dragon Rage!" Licht's voice snapped through the haze.
Charmander unleashed a swirling blast of blue fire, sending Ekans skidding back across the floor. Ash, also using his aura training, sensed Koffing's movement. "Pikachu, Thunder Shock in-front of you!"
"Pikaa!" Electricity burst outward, lighting the smoke like a flash. Koffing shrieked as it was struck.
Jessie stomped her foot. "That's it! Enough playing around!" Jessie and James pointed together. "Ekans, Koffing full power!"
Licht exchanged a quick nod with Ash. "Ash," he said, "let's finish this together." Ash grinned. "Right!"
James shouted, "Koffing, Tackle!" Jessie followed, "Ekans, Bite!"
Both Ash and Licht called out at once "Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" "Charmander, Flamethrower!"
Pikachu released a surge of lightning while Charmander fired a bright stream of flames. The attacks crossed perfectly, forming a spinning wave of fire and electricity that slammed into Team Rocket.
Jessie screamed, "W-Wait!" James followed, "Not again!" Meowth panicked, "I hate this job!"
BOOOOM! Team Rocket blasted into the sky, smoke trailing behind them.
James wailed, "Why does this keep happening?!" And then all three of them shouted in unison, "Team Rocket's blasting off agaaaiiin!"
A faint sparkle marked their exit.
Pikachu ran back to Ash, cheeks still crackling. "Pika-pi!"
Ash picked him up proudly. "Nice work, buddy."
Charmander also jogged to Licht, eyes bright. "Char!" Licht knelt and patted his head gently. "You handled yourself really well. Great job, buddy. I'm proud of you."
Misty shook her head. "Are those three really from Team Rocket? They don't… seem that dangerous."
"Thank you for saving the Pokémon Center," Nurse Joy said with genuine relief. "I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't stepped in."
Licht just waved her off. "Don't worry… and sorry about the lobby."
Before anyone could respond, the front doors slammed open BAM! A motorbike siren blared outside as Officer Jenny rushed in. Jenny scanned the room. "What happened here?! I got an alert"
Nurse Joy raised an eyebrow. "We have a driveway, you know. You don't always need to park on the sidewalk."
Jenny blinked. "…Right. My bad."
Ash crossed his arms and said. "You're a little late. Team Rocket showed up, we beat them. That's basically it."
Jenny looked at Joy for confirmation, who nodded. Jenny sighed and pulled out her notepad. "Thanks for your cooperation. But next time, maybe let the professionals handle the criminals. It could've been dangerous."
Ash muttered, "Then maybe get here in time…"
Jenny then just gave them a quick salute before heading out.
Licht exhaled and looked at Ash and Misty. "Alright, guys. Let's finish our dinner. Tomorrow morning, we'll get everything ready before leaving for Viridian Forest."
Pikachu and Charmander perked up instantly.
-----------------------
Author's Note: If you're enjoying the story so far, I'd really appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a review. Your feedback helps me improve and motivates me to keep writing. Thank you for reading!