Ike Ketchum: A New Journey Begins

Part 5



Note:  I haven't told the levels of the Pokemon in my story thus far.  You 
may be curious, so now I will start listing the levels of Ike's and Amelia's 
Pokemon at the beginning of every part.  And if anyone else joins the party, 
I'll list their Pokemon's levels also.
Alright:
Ike –  Sasha Lv. 13 Knows-- Thundershock, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle, and 
Growl
Mankey Lv. 17, Knows –  Focus Energy, Karate Chop, Fury Swipes, and Seismic 
Toss
Spearow Lv. 16 Knows –  Peck, Fury Attack, Pursuit, and Growl
Nidoran Male, Lv. 13 Knows—Peck, Leer, Double Kick, and Focus Energy

Amelia – Eevee, Lv. 18 Knows – Quick Attack, Tackle, Tail Whip, and Shadow 
Ball
Rattata Lv. 10 Knows – Quick Attack, Bite, Tail Whip, and Tackle
Butterfree, Lv. 20 Knows – Confusion, Gust, Stun Spore, and Supersonic


Part 5:

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!  The sound of the droning Beedrill followed Ike and 
Amelia as they fled for their lives.  Amelia looked back at the terrifying 
horde, and then at Ike.  
“Listen, when I got lost....huff...I saw....huff....a spring,” she gasped.  
“I think we're headed for it. We...huff....have to.....huff...dive in.”
Ike needed to hear no more.  He picked up speed, and soon they were upon the 
spring, just as Amelia said.  With no thought, he and Amelia dove in.
SPLOOSH!
As they sank down under the water, the buzzing sound faded.  Ike stayed under 
for what seemed a long time, until finally his lungs yelled at him for air 
and he came back up, gasping.  A second later, he saw Sasha and Amelia join 
him.  He looked around, and saw that there were no more Beedrill coming for 
them.
Amelia looked satisfied again.  Ike knew he didn't want to hear her mouth.  
And he was not going to thank her.
“Well, now I'm soaked.  Good—EE!” he said.
Amelia didn't say anything.  She only looked as if she might pop.  Ike 
grinned inwardly.

Later that day, as Amelia watched Ike train, she reflected on what had gone 
on since they had met.  She had heard a lot about Ash.  She was told that he 
was a kind man who loved all Pokemon.  But Ike was so different!  He seemed 
to care mostly for himself, and he was far from kind.  She sensed something 
else in him though.  Something he kept well hidden.  He must have some sort 
of kindness inside somewhere, because he obviously loved that little Pikachu.  
Maybe that mean streak he showed was only an act.  Maybe he just didn't want 
anyone to know what he was really like.  Maybe all he needed was the right 
push....

“YEEAH!,” Ike yelled.  “I can't believe this, Nidoran...I mean Nidorino!”  
Ike had been training the whole day.  He had been pitting his Pokemon against 
each other, and also against wild Pokemon in the forest, such as Metapod and 
Kakuna.  He had been training Nidoran and Mankey especially hard, and the 
fruits of his labor were showing greatly in his Nidoran, who had just evolved 
into a very healthy looking Nidorino.
“See that?” Ike crowed at Amelia.  “I told you I'm a skilled trainer!  Let's 
just see here..” he said, holding up his Pokedex.
In a robotic voice, it said:
Nidorino, the Poison Pin Pokemon.  It is aggressive and quick to attack.  The 
horn on its head secretes a powerful venom.
“Just look at it!” Ike gushed.
It was an impressive looking Pokemon, Amelia agreed to herself.  She 
estimated that it was about 3 feet long, making it slightly bigger than most 
Nidorino.  Its purple skin was rich and dark, and its forehead horn was long 
and sharp.  It had large, spiky ears, and scary looking fangs jutting out of 
the sides of its mouth.  Its foot claws also looked pretty dangerous.  Its 
eyes were mean, and it stared at Amelia, giving her the creeps.
“So, what do you think?” Ike said genuinely.
“I think you have succeeded in raising a monster,” Amelia said honestly.
Ike looked satisfied, and he returned Nidorino to its Pokeball.
“What's for dinner?” he asked.
“Pika!” Sasha agreed.
“I don't know.  I don't cook,” Amelia sighed.
“You're a girl! Girls are supposed to know how to cook stuff,” Ike argued.
“Not me,” Amelia said.  “I spend too much time outside doing research, or 
inside reading.”
Ike's belly made a loud rumbling sound.  “What good are you then?”
Amelia ignored this rude statement, because she was staring at a dark shadow 
at the base of a nearby tree.  “What is that?” she said quietly.
“What?” Ike wondered, as he followed her line of sight.  Then he tensed, and 
he squinted.  “Could it actually be?”
With Sasha trailing him, Ike crept closer to the tree.  When he had gotten 
close enough, he realized that his hunch had been correct.  Clinging to the 
tree, sucking out sap, was a Pinsir.  
“Alright, this is it!” he said.  “Sasha, it's you this time!”
Excitedly, Sasha leapt ahead.  
“Get its attention Sasha, and use Thundershock!” Ike commanded.
Sasha did, and the offended Pinsir turned around and faced them.  It opened 
and closed its enormous head pincers.  Then it charged forward, and Ike knew 
that it wanted to grab Sasha in a Vicegrip.
“Sasha, you charge too, with Volt Tackle!” Ike shouted.
“PIKA!” Sasha shouted with enthusiasm.  Then, engulfed in electricity, she 
dashed forward.  The powerful attack landed, and Pinsir went flying.  It hit 
a tree with a “slam!”, and then Ike didn't see where it landed.
“Oh no!” Ike wailed.  “Sasha, can you smell it?”
Pikachu have an acute sense of smell and hearing; it's much stronger than a 
human's.  Ike knew this, and he was praying that it would help him find his 
quarry.
Sasha started to sniff the air.  After a moment, she headed in the direction 
in which the Pinsir had flown.  Then, with a growl, she let out a 
thundershock.
And they heard something unexpected.

“Ow, WATCH IT!” a voice moaned.

“Hey, who is that?” Ike said.

After a moment,  Ike and Sasha heard a rustling sound, and a kid rose from 
the bushes. He was standing with Pinsir, and his hair was frazzled from the 
electric shock.  He was carrying with him a large bug catching net, and he 
was wearing shorts and a tank top.
“Just what do you think you're doing?” he asked angrily.  “Shooting 
electricity around like it's nothing!  I could've been killed!”

Ike blinked.  “I didn't know there was someone here.  I was trying to catch 
that Pinsir there.”
“Oh, so you're some sort of thief, eh?” the boy concluded.
“What do you mean? Is that Pinsir yours?” Ike said.
“What do you think, dummy?” the boy said.  “I suggest  you go somewhere else, 
before I have to teach you a lesson  you won't forget!”
“Is that some sort of challenge, shrimpy?” Ike retorted.
“Shrimpy? So you're a wise guy thief, eh? You injure me and my Pokemon, and 
then you insult me too?  We don't have to take this, do we Crusher?”  The 
last seemed to be directed at the Pinsir, who snapped his pincers together in 
agreement.
“Hmph.  I don't have time for you,” Ike said dismissively.  “Besides, I've 
already damaged your Pinsir too much for it to be able to battle anyway.”
At that moment, Amelia appeared behind Ike.  “What's going on now?” she said.
“Nothing we have time for, Amelia.  Let's go,” Ike told her.
“Just you wait!” the boy yelled.  “I challenge you to a Pokemon battle, wise 
guy!  We'll see how weak you think Crusher is then!”
Ike knew he had to accept this challenge.  If he didn't, this boy could tell 
people about him, and his reputation could be ruined.
“Okay, but you're going to be sorry you messed with me,” Ike said.
“Oh, this is exciting!” Amelia said.  “Can I be the referee?”
“I guess,” Ike said.  “This battle won't take long, though.”
“Okay, this battle is one-on-one, okay? My Crusher against your Pikachu,” the 
boy said.
“Sasha,” Ike corrected, “her name is Sasha.”
“Okay, whatever,” the boy replied.

“Alright, go Sasha!” Ike ordered, sending her into battle.  Sasha looked 
pumped.
“Okay, Crusher, it's time!” the boy said.
The Pinsir stared at Sasha, a gleam in its hard eyes.
“Sasha, use Quick Attack!” Ike ordered.  He was planning on moving so fast 
that the boy couldn't order his Pinsir to do anything.  Then, he was going to 
make Sasha go into another Volt Tackle to end this quickly.
But that's not what happened.
“Pinsir, use Vital Throw!” the boy said suddenly.  The Pinsir tossed its head 
in one quick movement, and Sasha was caught in its grip.  Then, with another 
swift toss, it threw her to the ground.  Sasha squealed.
“What?” Ike gasped.  This Pinsir was at a much higher level than he had 
expected it to be.  “Sasha, can you still get up?”
Sasha, struggling with pain all over her little mouse body, forced herself up 
off the ground.  With one eye closed, she faced the formidable Pokemon.  
Crusher snapped its pincers.
“Alright, Sasha, you need to avoid getting grabbed by that thing,” Ike said.  
“Stay away from those pincers!”
Nodding, Sasha got back into a fighting position.
“Alright, get it with Thundershock!” Ike roared.
Furiously, Sasha shot forth a bolt of electricity.  It landed, and Pinsir 
shook all over.
“Ha, ha ha!” the boy laughed suddenly.  “It's over!  Pinsir, get your 
Revenge!”
The end of the battle was a blur.  The big Pinsir attacked with such fury 
that Pikachu couldn't move.  She just lay on the ground, eyes swirled.  
Amelia's voice roared in his head somewhere, calling the match.  Pikachu is 
unable to battle.....little boy is the winner....Ike fell to his knees.

That night, Amelia overheard Ike talking with Sasha.

“You didn't give it your all today.  I know that you could have beaten that 
twerp.  I haven't trained you as much as some of the others I know, but 
you're special, Sasha.”
Sasha looked on Ike with doleful eyes.  She was ashamed, but she knew he was 
wrong.  She was not strong enough.  She didn't stand a chance against the one 
she battled here today.  She felt incredibly weak and useless.
“Listen, you will be stronger, if that's what you want,” Ike said.  “I 
just...I don't want to get you hurt, Sasha.  You mean a lot to me.”
At that, Sasha's ears perked up.  She jumped up and nuzzled Ike's face.
And then Ike did something that shocked her to her core.
Ike laughed; and not just a little titter.  Ike laughed uproariously.
Then he hugged his Pokemon.
Amelia was, for once, completely speechless.  Not daring to say anything, she 
lay back down and went to sleep.


The next morning, Ike was back to his old self.  He was ready to get out of 
this infernal forest, and he wasn't going to waste any more time.  He and 
Amelia returned to the path, and they made their way to Pewter City.  Feeling 
refreshed, Sasha was in high spirits.  She sang the entire way.  At first it 
was cute, but since Pokemon talk wasn't understood by humans, it began to 
grow tiresome. 
“Piiikaaa pika pika chu,” Sasha sang, “Pika pika pika pika chu, pii pikaaa!”
“Oh, could you hush!” Amelia groaned at her.
“You hush,” Ike shot back, “she's MY Pokemon, not yours!”
Amelia started to argue, but then she saw a welcome sight ahead.
The end of Viridian Forest.
“Look Ike, we're about to get out of here!” Amelia said happily.
Ike looked ahead, and nodded.
It's almost time to earn another gym badge, he thought to himself.