Episode 4: Flying Without Wings


The sun was high overhead when Ash, Misty, and their Pokemon departed Viridian City the next morning. Tintri walked by Ash's side, Ash studied the map, and Misty was not far behind with her gear. "Let's see...if we go through Viridian Forest, we'll come out just outside of Pewter City." Ash mused.

Misty's eyes turned to stars. "Really??? I've always wanted to see Brock work his storytelling art! They say he plays music, sings in Arceus knows how many languages, and even sword fights and shoots arrows live on stage if the story requires it!"

"I have a few favorite performances saved on my PokeNav if you want to watch one tonight." Ash smiled.

"Don't think him a pushover because of his skill telling stories...Brock takes his battling as seriously as his performances." a dark haired boy cautioned as Ash and Misty approached the forest edge. "...and woe betide those with a single Pikachu, as their thunderbolts won't do a thing to his Rock types."

"Thanks for the tip..." Ash started before pausing--he had not asked the boy his name.

"Charlie, please." the boy smiled as he retrieved a bug net. "I was gonna meet some friends to go bug hunting in the forest, but I can teach you how to catch your own bugs."

Misty froze. "B-b-bugs?" she stammered. "Aside from raw carrots and hot peppers, I hate most bugs with a passion!"

"Most bugs?" Charlie asked as he led Ash and Misty into the forest.

"I can tolerate pretty bugs, like Butterfree and its cousins, and Ledybas are good luck..." Misty grumbled as she followed Ash and Charlie into a grassy clearing lined with Berry bushes. "But any bugs that bite or sting--no go."

"Then you may want to try for a Caterpie over a Weedle." Charlie explained. "Both of them are fairly plentiful, but Caterpie is the gentler of the two, and best suited for beginning trainers."

Ash suddenly felt something crawling up his leg, and looked down to see a tiny green caterpillar Pokemon making its way up his left pant leg. "Why hello..." he smiled as he pulled out Dexter to read up on his tiny visitor:

"Caterpie, the worm Pokemon. Its feet have suction cups designed to stick to any surface. It tenaciously climbs trees to forage." Dexter explained.

Misty screaming, followed by something being sprayed snapped Ash to attention. When he turned to see what he matter was, he tried oh-so-hard not to laugh at Misty stuck to a tree trunk by String Shot. The Caterpie he had seen before was now in the grass, daring the red haired girl to attack it.

[Calling me 'disgusting' and 'vile', were you?] the Caterpie grumbled. [I am not disgusting and I am NOT vile!]

Just then, Tintri approached the angry Caterpie. [My friend was afraid of you, so she screamed--not because she's a predator.] he explained. [So let her go!]

[Why should I?] the Caterpie challenged. [She threatened me!]

[That's because she was afraid!] Tintri pleaded before charging a Thundershock. [So I'm gonna fight to protect her!]

[Hah!] The Caterpie dodged Tintri's attack, then rammed into him, knocking him backwards.

Ahh noticed the Caterpie aiming a String Shot at the dazed Tintri. "Tintri, watch out!"

Tintri obediently rolled out of the path of the string, then lashed his tail at the Caterpie. [Take that!]

Ash was hit by inspiration as he watched Tintri dodge another string. Say...what if he were to catch the String Shot, then wrap it back around the Caterpie?

"Don't forget, if you're gonna catch a Pokemon, you have to weaken it first!" Misty reminded him as Charlie cut her loose.

"Tintri, use Thundershock!" Ash commanded.

[HAH!!!!] Tintri fired the tiny lightning bolt at the Caterpie moments after he had fired another String Shot, cutting the string loose, but just long enough to wrap something in it.

Ash decided to try his idea. "Tintri, use that piece of String Shot to wrap up the Caterpie!"

"Ash, what are you--!" Misty started as she watched Tintri run around the Caterpie, wrapping the String Shot around it.

Once sure the Caterpie was thoroughly tied, he heaved a Poke Ball in the weakened Caterpie's direction. "Poke Ball, go!"

One...

Two...

Three...

A feeling of excitement welled up inside Ash as the Poke Ball's center dimmed. "I did it...I got a Pokemon....I got a Pokemon!"

He joyfully picked up the Pokeball, nearly dancing with joy as he draggeed Misty around the clearing. I got a Pokemon! I got a Pokemon! I got a Pokemon! I got a Pokemon! I got a Pokemon!

"Well, you don't have to let the whole world know!" Misty grumbled as she was unceremoniously dragged through grass, thorns, and burs in Ash's sheer euphoria.

Charlie just laughed. "Give your friend a break--every trainer gets excited when they catch their first Pokemon. Weren't you excited too?"

"Of course." Misty replied as she wriggled free from Ash's grip. "I remember it like yesterday--a Staryu in the waters off Cerulean--which is now a Starmie."

After composing himself, Ash asked Charlie "What else can you tell me to help me defeat Brock?"

"Well, that Caterpie you caught will eventually become a Butterfree, which has access to a number of powerful Psychic attacks." Charlie replied. "Your Pikachu may not be a total loss, either--if it learned Disarming Voice as a Pichu, it may stand a chance."

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After bidding Charlie farewell and exploring more of the forest, the group stopped to rest. Ash, meanwhile, was thinking about what Charlie had said. If Tintri knows Disarming Voice, he may have a chance against Brock...

"Something wrong, Ash?" Misty asked as she put some more Magikarp meat on a camp stove to roast. "You've been quiet all evening..."

"I've been thinking about what Charlie said earlier...if Tintri knows Disarming Voice, he may have a shot against Brock." Ash explained. "My question is, what is Disarming Voice, what does it do, and how do I know Tintri has it?"

"Why not have Brock himself explain it?" Misty suggested as she pulled up a video on her own PokeNav, inviting Ash to watch the familiar brown haired boy with tanned skin on the screen address an audience of trainers.

Disarming Voice is primarily a Fairy type move, but it not necessarily restricted to just Fairy types. the Brock on the screen explained. The Skitty, Swablu, Espurr and Ralts families can all learn it, as can Audino, and Milotic. The Pikachu family and Unova's elemental monkey Pokemon can learn it if bred with a Pokemon that knows the move.

"Okay so that answers my question as to how I know Tintri has it, but what does it actually DO?" Ash asked, as if the image of Brock could hear him.

Disarming Voice is special among sound producing moves because it can mimic a valuable component of Mega Evolution--the Heart Song. the Brock on the screen continued. As it is only a mimic, it can't induce Mega Evolution, but the blast of sound can knock the opponent back. Usually, the Pokemon mimics its master's Heart Song, but if someone else helped to capture the Pokemon, the Pokemon will instead use the other person's Heart Song as their Disarming Voice...

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[Caterpie?] Tintri asked as he climbed on a rock, where the Caterpie Ash captured earlier was staring into the trees. [No hard feelings about before--I thought a friend was in danger, so I had to protect her--that's why we battled.]

[I know...but I can't understand why she's so afraid of me.] the Caterpie sighed.

[Some girl humans are like that--afraid of silly things like bug Pokemon.] Tintri explained. [While some bugs are worth fearing, I don't think a Caterpie is that dangerous...]

[You think so?] the Caterpie smiled. [That makes me feel so much better about coming along on this journey.]

[Ash is gonna name you in the morning--so we don't have to call you Caterpie all the time.] Tintri went on. [So if you could have any name you wanted, what would you want to be named?]

The Caterpie thought for a moment. [I would want a name befitting the Butterfree I will be one day!]

Tintri smiled. [I think I know the perfect name!]....