Challenge of the Samurai (Rewrite)

(A few minutes ago)

(Yellow POV)

It had been a few days since Yellow returned after graduating from Oak's academy. Once she got back, she didn't really know what she wanted to do. Most of the time, she would help her uncle, Wilton, or tend to his Pokémon. That was until one day, Wilton asked to talk to her.

"Well, Yellow, I want to know if you have any idea what you want to do," Wilton asked.

"I don't really know, Uncle," Yellow responded, a bit saddened by her own words.

Wilton thought for a moment. "Well, you like Pokémon. Why don't you try going out on an adventure?"

"You know I don't like it when Pokémon get hurt. Besides, I don't even have a Pokémon. And I don't know how to capture Pokémon either," Yellow replied.

"Well, you don't have to battle. You could just travel and learn what you like. And as for a Pokémon, why don't you take Doduo? At least you'll be able to ride him," Wilton said as he called over Doduo and held out his Poké Ball.

"What? You want to give me Dody? But you use him to travel, I can't," Yellow protested.

"You can, and you will. Besides, Doduo likes you better. You even named him. Now I want you to go see the world and find out what you want to do, but do come and visit me once in a while," Wilton said as he handed Doduo's Poké Ball to Yellow.

Doduo, seeing this, moved over and put both heads on Yellow, both exclaiming, "Do-duo, Doduo!"

"Ok, ok, Dody, I'll do it," Yellow said after hearing what Dody told her. She had always had a gift for understanding Pokémon, and even healing them. But she never thought much of it, especially because her uncle had assured her that she wasn't the first to have that ability.

So, after packing her bag and saying goodbye to everyone she knew, she found herself standing on the outskirts of Viridian Forest with Dody standing next to her.

"Well, Dody, we're about to start," Yellow said, clearly nervous as she started thinking about her friends who had already left on their journeys: Gary, Green, and Ash. How did they do it? How were they so confident about going on a journey?

As Yellow was thinking, Dody smelled something in the air—something that got her excited. While Yellow was lost in thought, Dody suddenly grabbed her, threw her on his back, and started dashing. The average Doduo could run at 60 miles per hour, and Dody was no exception, racing through the forest as Yellow panicked.

"Dody, where are you going?! Can you please slow down?!" Yellow screamed, holding on for dear life.

But just as she said that, Dody came to a sudden stop, just before crashing into someone. However, the abrupt stop caused Yellow to be thrown off Dody's back and crash into the person standing in front of them.

(Back to Present)

(Ash's POV)

'Here I am, lying on the nice soft ground… with a bird and a girl standing over me.' The bird appeared to be drooling, and the girl, Yellow, was staring down at him in a daze.

She suddenly snapped out of it and blurted, "I'm so sorry, Ash! I didn't mean to hit you, you see, I was about to leave, but then Dody grabbed me and just started running, and then he stopped and I crashed into you, I'm really sorry!"

Ash blinked, then gave a small smile as he sat up and dusted himself off. "It's fine, Yellow. I'm not hurt. It was an accident."

Yellow sighed in relief. "Still, I feel awful."

Ash chuckled. "Don't worry about it. But… what are you doing here, anyway?"

"Well… it's kind of a long story—" Her stomach suddenly growled loudly, followed by a matching rumble from Dody. She flushed red with embarrassment.

Ash smirked and waved them over. "Come on, I always make extra. Help yourselves."

Moments later, Dody had both heads buried in Pokémon food, while Yellow sat cross-legged with a warm plate of seasoned curry in her hands.

As they ate, Yellow explained everything, how her uncle encouraged her to go on a journey, how she didn't really know what she wanted to do, and how she didn't even have experience catching Pokémon yet.

Ash listened thoughtfully. 'I didn't expect Yellow to be starting her journey too. I knew I'd meet her eventually, but this early? Still… it might not be such a bad idea to travel with her. Her healing ability could be useful. Maybe she could even help me get better at mine. Why not?'

He glanced over. Yellow had finished her meal, and Dody was staring at him expectantly.

Ash laughed nervously and handed over seconds. "You know… if you want, you can come with me. I could even teach you the ropes."

Yellow blinked in surprise. "Wait, really? Are you sure? I mean, won't I just slow you down?"

Ash handed her a napkin and grinned. "Of course I'm sure. The more the merrier. And once you're done eating, I'll show you how to catch a Pokémon."

As Yellow finished her curry, Ash handed out Pokéblocks to his team. After his Pokémon finished eating, he returned them to their Poké Balls so they could rest, then walked over to her.

He pulled out his Pokédex and handed it to Yellow. "Here, scan Dody with this. It'll show you what he can do."

Yellow nodded and held up the device.

—-

[Doduo ♂ "Dody"]

Its short wings make flying difficult. Instead, this Pokémon runs at high speed on developed legs.

Ability: Early Bird

Hidden Ability: Tangled Feet

Current Moves: Growl, Peck (Basic), Quick Attack (Basic), Whirlwind

—-

Yellow stared at the screen with interest, then looked up. "So… what's a 'Hidden Ability'? And why are some moves labeled 'Basic'?"

Ash patiently explained, covering everything from move categories to abilities and battle strategies. When he finished, Yellow handed the Pokédex back.

"Well," Ash said, pulling a few empty Poké Balls from his bag, "now that you know about Dody, all you need is another Pokémon, and a Poké Ball. Lucky for you, I've got spares."

He handed her three Poké Balls, and they scanned the nearby area until they spotted a Rattata nibbling on some berries.

"How about that Rattata?" Ash suggested. "They're usually easy to catch."

Yellow nodded nervously. "Okay… so I send in Dody, use a move to weaken it, and then throw the Poké Ball?"

"Exactly," Ash said. "Pick one of Dody's moves and give the command."

Yellow took a deep breath. "Alright… Dody, use… um, Peck!"

Dody dashed forward, striking the Rattata cleanly and knocking it back.

But the Rattata wasn't giving up. It rushed forward with Quick Attack, and before Yellow could react, it struck Dody directly, knocking him backward onto the ground.

"No, Dody!" Yellow shouted, eyes wide with panic. She looked over at Ash for guidance.

"It's fine," Ash said calmly, pushing her head back to the battle, "Next time a Pokémon is about to attack, try telling Dody to dodge or counter. You're doing great, just stay focused."

Yellow took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves. "Okay… Dody, use Quick Attack!"

With a cry, Dody surged forward at high speed, crashing into the Rattata and sending it tumbling. The wild Pokémon staggered to its feet, barely standing.

Yellow turned to Ash, who stepped closer and nodded. "It's weak now. You can throw a Poké Ball."

"Okay!" Yellow said, quickly grabbing one of the Poké Balls Ash had given her. She threw it at the weakened Rattata.

1 Roll, 2 roll, 3—DING!

"Yes! We did it!" Yellow cheered, leaping with joy before impulsively pulling both Dody and Ash into a tight hug. Realizing what she'd done, she immediately let go and took a shy step back.

"Um… thank you, Ash," she said quietly, trying to hide the redness in her cheeks.

'Oh no,' Ash thought with an awkward smile. 'It's times like this I wish I was a dense shonen protagonist. You know what they say, fake it 'til you make it.'

He walked over to the Poké Ball and picked it up, then handed it to Yellow. "Here you go. You caught it, you can raise this little guy however you want."

Yellow took the ball and smiled, releasing the Rattata onto the grass. "Hi there. My name's Yellow, I'm your new trainer. How about I call you... Ratty?"

The Rattata tilted its head, then chirped, "Ratta-ta!" with a bright grin.

Yellow knelt down and began gently patting her new friend. As she did, a soft glow formed around her hands, she instinctively began healing Ratty's injuries. Then she paused, realizing what she was doing, and looked up at Ash. He caught the look but said nothing, pretending not to notice for now.

Before Yellow could ask, a rustling came from the nearby bushes.

Out from the trees stepped a boy in samurai armor, plastic and clearly decorative, but worn with absolute seriousness. He approached confidently, stopping in front of them with arms crossed.

"Hello! Are either of you the Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town?" he asked with a dramatic flair.

"Yes, I'm from Pallet," Ash replied, already knowing what was coming.

The boy unsheathed a wooden sword and pointed it at Ash. "Then I have found you at last! I, Samurai, challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

Yellow yelped in surprise and ducked behind Dody.

Ash sighed and gently pushed the sword aside with one finger. "Yeah, we can battle. But maybe don't wave fake swords at people, you might scare the wrong trainer."

Samurai blinked, clearly not expecting that response, then sheepishly put his sword away. "A fair point…"

He grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it. "Go, Pinsir!"

Ash turned to his bag and saw that Pikachu was still napping soundly. He handed the bag to Yellow and pulled out another Poké Ball. "Alright, time for you to shine. Let's go, Pidgey!"

"Pinsir, move forward and use Tackle!"

"Pidgey, fly up and use Tailwind, then Tackle back! And watch out for those pincers!"

Pinsir lunged forward, but Pidgey flapped into the air, unleashing a strong Tailwind. Using the gust's momentum, she dove down and slammed into Pinsir, knocking it back several feet.

"Pinsir, grab it! Use Seismic Toss!" Samurai ordered.

Pinsir roared, opened its pincers wide, and caught Pidgey mid-dive. With a burst of strength, it jumped high into the air and performed a powerful slam, not a traditional toss, but more like a Michinoku Driver that left a cloud of dust as both Pokémon hit the ground hard.

Both Pidgey and Pinsir lay there, panting heavily.

"Pidgey, can you keep going?" Ash called out.

Pidgey gave a determined nod, wings twitching.

"Alright then, flap your wings and use Sand Attack, get back into the air!"

Pidgey slammed his wings against the ground, kicking up sand that blasted into Pinsir's face. The bug cried out, blinded.

"Now finish this! Steel Wing!"

"Pinsir, no, Harden, quick!" Samurai panicked.

Pidgey's wings gleamed silver as he dove in. Pinsir braced, his body turning rigid, but as the two collided, a thick cloud of dust erupted. Everyone held their breath.

"Pinsir, are you okay?!" Samurai shouted into the smoke.

The dust cleared. Pinsir stood... then wobbled... and fell with a heavy thud.

Samurai sighed and returned his Pokémon. "Well done. But you've only passed the first test. Let's see how you fare against my second warrior!"

He threw another Poké Ball. A Metapod appeared, landing with a dull thump.

"Now," Samurai said with total seriousness, "prepare yourself for true fear. Metapod, use Harden!"

Pidgey looked back at Ash, unimpressed. His expression clearly said: [Really?]

Ash just shrugged. "Steel Wing again."

Too tired to fly, Pidgey walked over, raised a glowing silver wing, and bonked Metapod right on the head. The bug fainted instantly.

Samurai blinked. "...Huh." He returned Metapod with a sigh. "Very well. Now, behold my final Pokémon!"

He threw his last Poké Ball, and from it burst a Scyther, its blades gleaming and stance deadly.

Pidgey perked up, now fully alert. Ash narrowed his eyes. "Pidgey, Feather Dance, then Sand Attack!"

Pidgey took to the air, feathers swirling around Scyther, lowering its attack. Then, with a flap, he sent another blast of sand into Scyther's eyes. The mantis hissed but didn't back down.

"Scyther, Focus Energy, then Quick Attack!"

Scyther blurred forward, eyes locked on Pidgey. The hit connected hard, critically. Pidgey was thrown back, barely standing.

"That's enough, Pidgey," Ash said gently, recalling him. "You did great."

He pulled out another ball. "Your turn, Spearow, let's go!"

Spearow burst from his Poké Ball with a screech.

"Your first Pokémon has fallen. Now the rest will follow!" Samurai said confidently. "Scyther, Quick Attack again!"

"Spearow, Double Team, then get airborne!" Ash commanded.

As Scyther lunged, Spearow split into multiple copies and shot into the sky, scattering in every direction. Scyther hesitated, trying to figure out which was real.

"Scyther, use Fury Cutter! Slash through them all!"

"Spearow, Peck, strike from above, in and out. Don't let them see who you are!"

Spearow dove in from different angles, striking quickly and vanishing among his copies. The relentless hit-and-run wore Scyther down.

Ash's eyes narrowed. "Perfect. Now finish this, Steel Wing!"

Spearow's wings turned metallic as he dove down at high speed. Scyther turned too late.

WHAM.

Scyther was sent crashing to the ground and didn't get back up.

Samurai exhaled deeply and returned his final Pokémon. He walked toward Ash and bowed his head slightly.

"You truly are a worthy trainer... much like the others from Pallet Town."

"That was a great battle," Ash said, offering his hand. "By the way, if you don't mind me asking, where did you get your Scyther?"

Samurai smiled. "Well, since you've bested me, I see no harm in sharing. There's a group of wild Scyther nesting deeper in the forest to the north. But be warned, facing them all at once would be unwise."

Ash nodded. "Thanks for the tip. I'll be careful." He reached out and shook Samurai's hand, "Until we meet again."

"Indeed," Samurai said, stepping back. "Let us both grow stronger. May fate cross our paths once more!"