Ash and Gary woke to the sound of the yellow monster.
"Chu..." it moaned, nursing its sore leg.
The men exited the hollow and stretched. The little creature followed. It looked up at Ash.
"Pikachu?" it pleaded.
Ash crouched to examine its leg.
"Hey, that's healing nicely. You're just asking for sympathy, aren't you?"
"Pikachu?" it repeated.
"Is that what you are, a pi-ka-chu?"
"Maybe it wants more painkiller," said Gary.
Ash applied some more ointment and the pikachu became a lot happier.
While Ash and Gary were having breakfast, the pikachu brought down some fruit from a tree with a yellow flash. It gave one to Ash and busied itself with the rest.
"Do you know what this is?" Ash asked Gary.
"It's a peach. People can eat them."
Ash ate the fruit, thanked the pikachu and got ready to go. As they began walking off, the pikachu limped after them.
"Pikapi!" it cried.
Ash turned back. The critter stood there, cocking its head and drooping its tall ears.
"Oh no," said Gary.
Ash picked it up and placed it on top of his backpack.
"Hold on tight, Pikachu," he said, and they set off once more.
"Piiikaaa," it crooned.
"What do you want that thing for?" asked Gary.
Ash shrugged. "I like it."
Gary shook his head. "You big softie. Come on, we've got a long way to go."
The journey through the Viridian Forest was difficult. The path was muddy and slippery. Going off the path would have meant navigating over dirty puddles and gnarled roots. Residual water from last night's rain continued to drip on them. After two hours they were cold, wet, dirty and fed up.
Salvation came when a trader heading north let them on his tauros-drawn cart. The trader had another passenger, a youth a few years older than Ash. The trader seemed to know who Gary was so he gave Gary the seat next to him. He sent the other passenger along with Ash and Pikachu to ride second class with the goods at the back.By mid-afternoon they had cleared the forest, a journey that they had not expected to complete that day.
The trader turned out to be a Pallettowner and was more than happy to give a favour to the crown prince. What he really thought of Gary he did not reveal, but his speech was cordial. Traders have to be like that, thought Ash. No-one wants to do business with a grouch.
The other passenger turned out to be a Viridianite on official business north. It sounded important and confidential, so Ash didn't pry. They just talked young men talk, like girls and food and work and girls. Ash's companion was curious about Pikachu, but Ash couldn't explain how the monster got attached to him so easily.
By nightfall they reached Pewter City. The trader dropped the Viridianite off at an inn, took Ash and Gary to the palace, then went on his way.
Ash and Gary were greeted by Prince Timmy. He turned out to be shy and softly spoken, not what Ash expected a prince to be like. Then again, Ash's only experience of princes was probably an atypical opposite extreme.
Timmy arranged for them to bathe, supplied clean sets of clothes while their muddy attire was laundered, and showed them to their quarters—a room each—and sent them food.
Ash made the effort not to let himself become accustomed to the service. After all, once he returned home, he would have to live as an ordinary peasant again.
Oddly, that Ash had a monster tagging him was not considered strange at all. Quite the opposite, Pikachu was allowed to bathe with Ash and was even provided with its own towel, food and bedding without anyone even asking. Its happy squeals only paused when an elderly lady carrying a basket full of jars came to examine its leg. She said it was healing, applied some pain salve, and told Ash to let it start walking on its own for short distances from tomorrow.
At Prince Timmy's behest, they went to bed for an early rise the next day.
♦
The next morning afte breakfast, Timmy brought Gary, Ash and Pikachu to an audience with King Flint. Crown Prince Brock was also in attendance. Ash looked a the king. He was a tall, sturdy man with short hair that was still keeping its colour. He was dressed in royal garb, including a purple robe with white trimmings. He sat on a majestic marble throne with a seat and armrests of wood expertly fitted into the stone. The whole room's decor had a matching theme. Prince Brock strongly resembled his father. The both bore the same expression, a curious blend of strength and softness.
"Good morning, O King; Good Morning, O Prince," said Gary, bowing to them both.
"Good morning, O Prince," they each replied in turn. They turned their attention to Ash.
"Good morning, your highness," said Ash bowing to the king, and repeated the greeting towards Brock. He hoped it was the right thing to do.
"We welcome Ash of Pallet Kingdom as the royal representative," said the king.
"Pikachu!" put in Pikachu, bowing in a manner imitative of Ash. The king raised an eyebrow.
"We shall discuss the pikachu in due course," he said. "First, we discuss the mission, but we must be brief. The four of you will be taken by a trader through Mount Moon. Before the Cerulean checkpoint, you will be hidden. He has a consignment of bulky goods and it will be awkward for them to check all of it." He paused to glance at each of them.
"Once through, he will take you to one of his customes, the man who requested our assistance. From there, it is up to you to find the location of the princess, rescue her, and bring her out. We will have troops inside the Mount Moon exit ready to help you three midnights from now."
The king examined the four faces to check they understood. His narrow eyes seemed to see through them.
"Excuse me, O wise king," said Gary. "How do we know the trader won't betray us?"
"I have promised him considerable reward if the mission succeeds. I am confident it will be worth his while. Now to Ash's monster. I had no idea Pallet was training monsters now."
"Your highness," Ash explained, "it... followed me in the forest after I helped its sore leg."
The king sat quietly for a while as if contemplating. A light smile formed on his face.
"You are very fortunate Ash, firstly for surviving the experience, and more importantly, you have the tamer's gift. Use it wisely. Now why a pikachu is fortuitous for this mission. Brock's onix and Timmy's graveler are too large to sneak into Cerulean. A pikachu, however... If there are no other questions, you must get ready. The trader is leaving soon. Good luck."
Everyone thanked the king for his good wishes, bowed respectfully and left the royal chamber. The next step was to change into typical Cerulean attire. If they were to move freely, they had to dress in half-worn out, northern-style clothing rather than their royal best. Also, Pikachu had to be kept hidden as the Cerulean populace were forbidden to keep monsters. The same was true for weapons. The most challenging part of their mission was to complete it unarmed.
Ash and Pikachu were given a crash course in monster warfare. Pikachu had to learn to fire a thunderbolt and land a tackle on Ash's command. It took them several tries, but they soon caught on.
Finally, the trader arrived. They hopped on and left.
