Pokemon: The Journey

Picking himself up after he had started regaining some strength, he used a Potion on his Pikachu. He gradually looked better than before. He was going to use the other Potions on Pikachu as well, when he looked around him to see the Spearow, and realized they were injured as well, and would take some time to come back to their senses.

'You know you should catch one of them.'

'Roshi!'

'Good job on escaping such a scenario, which would have killed even adults who might have been in your shoes.'

'Do you know what the thing was that happened to me?'

'I believe it is something called Aura. As far as I know, it is the spiritual energy of all living beings. It is found in all life and can be of different types. I believe it is also responsible for giving Pokémon their different types, like Pikachu's Electric type. It can also be used in its pure form by Pokémon like Riolu and Lucario, and rarely, some humans.'

'So, I am one of them?'

'Looking right now, yeah. Before you start calling yourself a freak, see it from another perspective. You are special from others. You can use it to fight like Pokémon, unlike the others. If you can control and use it, you would never have to face what happened before. You can protect yourself, your loved ones, your Pokémon, and others. It is all good and all, but you should never use it in front of others. People fear and ostracize what they can never get or understand.'

'Okay.'

'Don't you have other matters to attend to? Like catching the damn Spearow with the bumps on its head that called for the flock. I do not even need to be an expert to say the bird will grow to be a menace in the future if left unattended. You could use that bird to help you in battles instead of it becoming a cause for a headache later in the future. I also heard your thoughts and questions; you had better ask your Pikachu.'

Turning and taking up Pikachu in his arms, who was looking better than before, he gave some Oran berries to him.

"Pikachu?"

Looking at him tiredly but regaining his strength, "Pika?"

Starting to search for that specific Spearow with bumps on its head, Ash continued the conversation.

"I am going to catch the Spearow, which we had hit and had called the flock upon us."

Pikachu looked at Ash as if he had just grown another head and pointed to his head as if asking if he was alright in the head.

"I can't blame you, but I get to catch a Pokémon who will help us in the future in battles, and do you not want to boss around the Spearow that gave us so much trouble?"

Picturing the scenario in his head, Pikachu smirked and gave his approval while thinking about how they would 'bond'. It involved Thunder Shocks, Thunder Waves, etc., yeah, you get the idea.

"I am also going to use the other potions on the other Spearow. Rattata eat anything. Can't let them become a meal for them if given a choice."

Grimacing, Pikachu agreed while remembering what happened beforehand.

They had caught the Spearow that had chased them to be chased in the first place. Unlike the others, this one was still conscious and was regaining strength, but was paralyzed and had something on its beak that was starting to fall off. Ash threw the Pokéball in panic.

Shake...shake...click.

He had caught it.

They looked at the other Spearow. They all had the same thing happening to them.

Taking one of them in his hand, he put a hand on the falling beak to reveal... another beak?

Stupefied at what they were seeing, they stared at the beak. It was sharper than Spearow's.

'A Sharp Beak.'

'Sharp Beak?'

'The Sharp Beak is a type of held item that boosts the power of Flying-type moves like Peck and Gust. It can also be sold to get money.'

Widening his eyes, he started to go to every Spearow and took every loose beak he could find and gave them some amount of the Potion.

He only had some, nowhere near enough to help all of them, but would heal them to some degree to fly at least after some rest.

All 41 of them had the item. Including the one he had caught, there would be a total of 42.

He put all 41 of them in his bag, which was bigger than the one he would have started with originally if he had not talked with his mom to increase the size, but now there were a few holes in it. He was going to need to change it, Ash thought with a grimace.

'Ash, shouldn't you go towards Viridian City and visit the Pokémon Center, now?'

Ash jolted awake from his thoughts and started walking in the direction Viridian City was supposed to be in.

He never noticed the slight fear and desperation in Roshi's voice. Roshi hoped Ash didn't, and what he was thinking was just a coincidence. Truth said he was in canon, so it must be a coincidence, and he must be trying to pull his leg and unnerve him, right?

Reaching a bank, Ash and Pikachu were looking at the distance and saw a city in the distance.

"That must be Viridian City! Let's go Pikachu!"

With the afternoon sun that would set in the next few hours on his back, he started to walk towards Viridian City with Pikachu in his hands.

He hoped to get his Pokémon treated and get some rest from the hectic day, not knowing that what was waiting for him there would change his outlook on people forever.