13.Ash's Rikoto Story

Chapter 4 Route 1 Adventures

Ash and Alice leave Soltree Town and start walking along Route 1. Ash turns to Alice. "So, Alice, I heard from Rodney that you just became a Gym Leader, which means we're going to be facing each other one day. But can you introduce your Pokémon to me?"

Alice looks a bit hesitant. "My Pokémon? They're not that special..."

Ash is confused by her reluctance. "If you don't want to, I'm not going to force you to show me..."

Alice quickly reassures him. "No, it's not like that. I'm willing to show you." She takes out three Pokéballs. "Come on out, my friends."

After throwing the Pokéballs, three Pokémon appear, all of them Ice Type. The first one has a body resembling a snowball with icy blue spikes and black eyes, giving it a spooky yet charming appearance. The second Pokémon looks like a small, husky-like creature with a sleek black and white coat, sharp blue eyes, and a bushy tail. The third has delicate, crystalline wings that shimmer in various shades of blue and white. It has a gentle and elegant look, with antennae and a sleek body.

"These are my friends: Snower, Husky, and Crys," Alice introduces. "Snower is a Snowlow, it's Ice and Ghost Type. Husky is a Huskpup, which is Ice Type. And Crystiwing is Ice and Bug Type, and I named it Crys."

Ash smiles. "It's nice to meet you all."

Pikachu runs over to play with them. As Ash watches them happily playing together, a frown crosses his face as he remembers the past Alice looks at Ash with concern. "Ash, are you thinking about the past again?"

Ash sighs. "I know, Alice. After all that happened, I don't know who I should trust... Their betrayal hurts a lot since they were my travel companions... but now..." He closes his eyes, trying not to shed a tear.

Alice gently responds, "I understand." Ash, forgetting to keep his eyes closed, looks at her with confusion. "Since I was being bullied, I also had a hard time trusting people as well..."

Just then, they hear a strange noise and look around until they realize it's Ash's stomach growling. Both Ash and Alice giggle a little. "I guess it's lunchtime for both of us," Ash says.

Alice smiles. "Yeah, we should have lunch now."

As they take out their cooking supplies, they stare at each other and say in unison, "Are you going to cook for us?"

They both flinch, having said the same thing at the same time, and start to blush a little. After calming down, Ash decides to speak first.

"Why don't we cook together?" Ash suggests.

Alice nods. "I think that's the best solution. So let's discuss how we should work together."

While Ash and Alice are chatting about their lunch, Pikachu is playing with Herovor and Purrlit. Suddenly, a bird Pokémon with white feathers, black stripes, and a blue head flies towards the ground. He seems to be looking around, catching Pikachu and the others' attention.

Pikachu tilts his head. "What is that?"

Herovor responds, "I don't know, but it looks like a Flying type. After all, it is a bird."

Purrlit adds, "Come on, that's obvious. But we know a lot of bird Pokémon. If only we knew the name..."

As the bird Pokémon turns around, he notices Pikachu with two Pokémon he has never seen before.

The bird Pokémon gasps. "Pikachu? Is that really you?"

Pikachu and the others widen their eyes. The bird knows their names, and his voice is very familiar.

Herovor exclaims, "Hey, I remember that voice. It's Staraptor!"

Purrlit echoes, "Staraptor, is that really you?"