Too Early for Surprises

"Huh, you're up early," Misty said, at a safe distance, upon seeing 'Ash' as the boy was petting and hand feeding Caterpie while sitting on the tree stump.

The boy let out a tired yawn, "Had to. I need to change Spearow's bandages and reapply the medicine every six hours," 'Ash' said as he looked to his sleeping bag to see Spearow back to napping after the wing check some time ago. Pikachu was asleep too, with a perfectly sized sleeping bag and pillow. Yes, those same one used as the gag in the samurai episode.

"And what time did you woke up?" Misty asked.

"Closely an hour before the sun rose," 'Ash' said and points to a small pile of berries and fruits, "Then I decided to go out and look for some food for us for the next few days in case we decided to stay long. For training reasons, I mean,"

Misty shuddered and looked aghast, "Next few days?!"

"Just saying the possibilities, especially if we start teaching our Pokémon new moves," 'Ash' replied, placing down the Bug Type gently on the grass with Caterpie, to Misty's relief, crawling towards Rattata who was eating an Oran Berry peacefully next to the boy's bag, "However, it did made me wonder if it was ever that easy when it comes to them learning a new move,"

"What do you mean?" Misty asked confusedly as she packs up her tent.

"Learning a move is one thing, but adjusting to the new move is different. Think of it as sudden evolution for unprepared Pokémon. Energy based moves like Shadow Ball and Focus Blast tends to need a great amount of concentration and power to keep their spherical forms stable and aiming precise, otherwise they would either explode early or go wonky and off a random direction. Beam based moves are the same, only the problem is that they take a lot more out of the user and their recoil tends to be based on how much a Pokémon charges power in them, as well as the resting time to recharge," 'Ash' then rested his chin on his fist as he continues to talk. "Physical melee attack moves, while seemingly less problematic in appearance, are more on the Pokémon's physical and mental health as they tend to exhaust the user in both categories if not overlooked. Also-"

At this point, Misty was already lost at her companion's words. She knew a trainer should be mindful of what moves a Pokémon has in their arsenal and what they can learn. Everyone knows this. But with what 'Ash' has been saying to this extent?! Misty was more and more sure this ten-year-old boy was much more than the reckless kid she thought he was. Although, as much as she was finding his insights on moves intruiging, they need to actually train.

"Ash," she called.

"-Healing and recovery moves are very mysterious in so many ways. But it has to metaphorically feeds off of something. It has to have a drawback. Probably stamina in exchange for healing wounds? Or-"

"Ash," Misty called, a bit louder.

"-I wonder how Abilities work-"

*Thwack!*

Pikachu had just woken up moments ago to find Caden mumbling about Pokémon Moves and Abilities, and Misty trying to call his 'name'. Pikachu was well aware that he wasn't getting used to being called out as Ash, which would bring suspicion. So, he decided to do the most Pikachu thing he could think of in a situation like this that does not involve Thunderbolt without it going out of control.

Put in a grumpy 'You-woke-me-up-feeling-like- a-pile-of-bricks-and-you're-going-to-pay-for-it' look, neutrally walked over behind the boy, leaped on his shoulder, and smacks a well-given tail slap at the back of the head.

"Ow!" the boy responded, looking at the mouse who only points his tail to a direction. Cade followed until his eyes were on Misty.

"Thank you, Pikachu," Misty said with acknowledgement to the Electric Type before turning her attention to 'Ash', "Now that I have your attention Ash-"

'Oh, whoops,' Caden thought to himself as Pikachu decided to leave and get something to eat from the pile of berries.

"I want to ask; what kind of training are you going to do?" Misty questioned with her hands to her hips.

"Well..." Caden thought to himself, looking to the group of Pokémon he called his team, "I'm planning to teach them some moves effective against Rock Types since Pewter City's Gym is themed around it," looking to his Pokémon, he analyzed the possible moves, "Rattata could learn Iron Tail and either Bite or Hyper Fang. Maybe even Dig? I would probably teach Spearow Steel Wing, but at the moment he's..."

Caden glances to the Flying Type, who was conversing with Caterpie about something. The Flying Type felt his gaze and looks to him. The bird's attention returned to the Bug Type chirping about something.

"I see..." Misty said, looking at the same direction, though froze when Caterpie meets her eyes.

When Caterpie is about to rush in, Pikachu stopped the caterpillar by lightly yet sturdily stepping on the tail. Which left, admittingly to Caden, a kind of funny scene of Caterpie blowing a cloud of dust on both Pikachu and Spearow's faces. The eyes, being large and comical, poking out of the clouds was a cherry on top. It took Caterpie a moment to realized he wasn't budging an inch and turned his head to see Pikachu and Spearow looking unamused and covered in dust.

Caden chuckled and stood up to his feet, planning to get Caterpie and have a small but gentle talk.

"Ash/Cade, look out!"

Caden heard the yell of both Pikachu and Misty, reacting more on the former. Instincts told him of an attack from behind, making him tuck and roll out of the way as a strong gust of wind flew passed over him. 

Rattata squeaked and took cover in the bag as the unknown assailant flew by fast.

And once again, that ripple came over Cade, which could only mean...

Cade rose his head up as Pidgeotto- Ash's Pidgeotto- gobble a worm they plucked out from the ground. Cade didn't want to question it as Pikachu, a cautious Spearow, and a timid Caterpie approached the large bird.

Pikachu, being the front, decided to speak for the group, going by as friendly as possible, "Excuse us,"

The secondary evolved Pokémon glances their eye at him.

"Hi, I'm Pikachu," the electric mouse introduced himself before pointing to the two others behind him, "And these are Spearow and Caterpie,"

Pikachu looks back at Pidgeotto as he continues, "Look, we know you were just trying to find some food to eat, but can you please be careful next time? You almost took our trainer's head off quite literally,"

The bigger avian remained silent as they looked at them. Pikachu could not help but feel something was going to go bad but pushes that feeling away. Sure, he had seen Pidgeotto's action towards poor Caterpie, but he believed they are reasonable Pokémon. And yes, he recognized the Pidgeotto before him to be that Pidgeotto. And who knows? Things might go smoothly-

"Maybe your owner shouldn't have been in my way, it would be his fault his large head was on my path,"

Pikachu's mind froze and took a few seconds to comprehend the avian's tone, attitude, and voice. One, Pidgeotto is, to his surprise, a girl; the other is a baffling discovery:

Pidgeotto has a stuck-up attitude.

Pikachu felt that bad feeling coming back.

"Now you three minced meats better leave me alone, I am eating," Pidgeotto snarked before going back to scrapping the dirt for more grubs.

To say the least this set off some reactions. Caterpie looked a little hurt at those words, but not close to crying. Spearow was strangely silent with his eyes shadowed over. And Pikachu...

He decided to give his trainer a heads up. 

Turning around, he raises his voice loud enough for Caden to hear, "Hey, Cade!"

Caden has been watching the spectacle and witnessed Pikachu turning to him and calling out, although he was a bit nervous of having Misty finding out he can talk to his starter (It took him a while to accept it, with Pikachu constantly persisting to do so,). So, he chose his words carefully.

"What is it, Pikachu? Are you calling for me?" He said back, trying to avoid suspicion.

"I wonder what Pikachu needs?" Misty asked in wonder, standing right next to him as she held her folded sleeping bag.

Caden turned to her and was about to say something, but then Pikachu's next words dropped like a bomb on him.

"Pikachu chu pika-pika!"

To Misty, Pikachu's words were like a difficult puzzle to piece, add that she does not know Pokémon speech. Just your everyday Pokémon talking.

But Caden is quite a different story.

His body went stiff as if the words were a Thunder Shock, before whipping his body around so fast to look at the mouse with an eye-boggling look that the only thing left was a sound of a whiplash. And his reaction was.... understandable. To the Pokémon at least.

"Pidgeotto's a girl?!!!"

Said avian, in her fourth grub, choked in shock before dislodging the thing in her throat and looking at the human with a baffled beak hanging open.

Spearow had to look away and hide his beak with his functional wing as he represses his giggles. Caterpie just seemed confused as he tilted his head to one side. And Pikachu took a moment to understand what his trainer just said and facepalmed (or face-pawed?).

"Caden, you idiot!" Pikachu said in his breath.

The boy took a moment to realized what he just yelled and slapped a hand on his mouth. In his mind, Caden was crouching into a ball with his arms covering his head as two words repeats themselves in his thoughts.

'I'm screwed-I'm screwed-I'm screwed-I'm screwed-I'm screwed...'

Misty blinked a few times and looked at him like he just hit his head, "Ash, what are you-"

[ That's it! What am I? Scrap metal?! ]

Everyone and every-mon jumped in shock at an unknown voice suddenly spoke. None more so than Rattata who let out a terrified screech and scampered out of the boy's bag and hid behind her trainer's feet, peeking out and looking at her usual resting place with small fear.

Forgetting the previous event, Caden bends down and picks up the scared Rattata and turned his attention to his bag. From the sound of the voice, it came from the backpack. And somehow, it sounded... oddly familiar. He walked with caution towards the bag, then puts his second rodent companion on his shoulder as he brought the bag right side up.

Looking inside, he found... nothing out of the ordinary. Everything seems in place.... minus the torn fabrics. He began to look back and confusedly wonder where he heard that voice before. Then he caught a glimpse of something red and metal glinting under the bag. Reaching in, he took hold of the metal and cool surface and picked it out.

He recognizes this. The rectangular red device with a clear sky blue semi-spherical LED light (or Caden thought it is, still trying to figure out how each part work,) on the upper left corner with three smaller ones being (in order) red, yellow, and green. On the left side was a small and yellow triangular arrow pointing to the right, showing where and how to flip it open.

Ash's PokéDex. Dexter.

"Huh, I've almost completely forgotten about this," he said, almost wistfully.

[ YOU FORGOT!?! What kind of insolent entitled trainer are you to forget of my existence and value!? ]

Caden didn't expected it to talk back. Pikachu never expected it to talk back. Everyone never expected such a small machine to talk with fury in its tone. As such, screams of confusion filled the air and Caden almost dropping the device, though it caused him to juggle the device in his slippery grasp before finally grasping it with both hands. 

Once getting his bearing, Caden took a deep breath and calmly and rationally asked the very question he, Pikachu, and Misty were thinking.

"You're sentient?!"

Well, as calmly and rational as he can considering he just now screamed in front of the machine.

There was a moment of silence in the air as they all waited for a response.

[ ...Greetings, I am- ]

"Don't you dare dodge my question with that trashy robotic introduction, Dexter! I am highly aware of that you just verbally outlashed right in front of my face, you low grade faulty cheap-scrapped knick-knack!" Caden, in his anger, didn't seem to care about the slip up he made, nor did the AI within the machine.

[ Cheap-scrapped knick-knack!?! Now listen here- ]

"It hasn't been two days and things went from normal to just questionable," Spearow muttered in disbelief as he, his fellow Pokémon, and Misty stare at the boy having a yelling competition with that odd contraption.

"I feel like this is going to be an occurring event," Rattata spoke.

Pidgeotto looks lost at what was happening.

Pikachu just sagged with defeat. Against what? He doesn't know. But one thing for certain, he needed to stop this petty argument. It's far too early for his standards.

The Electric-Type steeled himself, charging electricity with eyes shut, then releases a Thunderbolt right at his trainer and the PokéDex... and shocking everyone else at the process. His eyes were closed, but the various voices of pain were enough to make him know what had happened. After stopping, he slowly opened his eyes and...

'...Either I still have no control on my aiming and concentration, or the universe just wants a running gag,' Pikachu mentally said with a sweatdropped as he saw everyone toasted and twitching on the ground. Even the PokéDex. 

"What...the flap...was that for..?" Spearow managed to squawk out.

"Owwiiieeee...." A swirly eyed Caterpie moaned.

[ I... am... a machine.... and yet, I feel pain.... I don't like it... ] Dexter spoke, sounding like it was in actual pain.

Face down on the dirt, Caden declared an announcement, "Okay, starting today, all of us are going to be training. Pikachu, you are going to practice your aiming, as well as improve your speed and agility with Rattata. And try to see if you can teach them Iron Tail,"

"He-he, roger that," Pikachu sheepishly laughed as he rubs the back of his head.

"Caterpie, see if you can make your String Shot so strong that not even a Geodude can break through them,. But first, practice on how well your aiming is,"

"I don't wanna get out of bed...." The little caterpillar responded still in a daze.

"Spearow, while you are ground-ridden, try to improve your speed while you're in this state. And I'll try and help you gain a beak-related moveset,"

"Not the best... but better than none," Spearow sighed.

"Pidgeotto, you're joining too,"

Said avian was baffled, if the squawk wasn't an indication.

"Misty, see if you can have any available land-based Water Types in your arsenal join this training too,"

Misty just groaned.

"I'll be doing some basic exercises while they train," Caden paused for a moment before speaking again, "Pikachu, get the paralysis potions in the bag please,"

Well, it was surely an exciting way to start the day at least.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Ash was not sure if he should laugh or sympathize on Caden's misfortune. 

The boy was sitting in front of a pond with floating white lilies, sparkling with mystifying beauty and purity. Seemed like a very simple and normal pond, but Ash had been visiting this spot more than enough to know there is more to this.

On the reflection, it had shown the very thing that had happened that early morning with Caden down on the floor along with everyone but a sheepish Pikachu.

Beside him, a Zorua was laughing their tail off while rolling on the grass. Ash decided to shook his head and sigh. Zorua was supposed to be the mature one between them, yet here they are laughing nonstop.

He really hoped Caden would be able to handle what the world throws at him. Ridiculous as they are.

Ash was still surprised to find his supposed to be Pidgeot was a girl. He never knew nor had thought about it, so it came to a surprise. And he was a bit embarrassed of Caden's panicking mind.

Ash sighed and watches as training started (with a newly captured Pidgeotto looking like she doesn't want to be a part of this). He could see Starmie (Staryu was put on the bench, resting in their Pokéball) and Caterpie working on shooting Water Gun and String Shot respectively at moving targets who are mainly the grounded Spearow and a hovering Pidgeotto. Spearow was still going around with clumsy footing, either skipping or hopping around and sometimes tripping when he runs making him easily pelted by webbing and water. Pidgeotto held no restraints in laughing at him, then got a face full of silk before crashing to a tree. Misty was assigned in the sidelines to remove the silk if it ever gets to any of the Flying Types' faces. She agreed, with much disgust and reluctance. 

On another side of the clearing, Caden and Pikachu were speaking to Rattata with their best way on describing Iron Tail, all the while searching up in Dexter the possible moves they could have each Pokémon can possibly learn. As Ash watches them help Rattata get a good idea of her tail's battle swing and moving on to how to get Iron Tail, he smiled at how peaceful it seemed. He relaxes and felt like nothing could spoil this.

....

Ash wanted to yell at the universe for dumping more unnecessary surprises, including one that literally gives Ash a heart attack!

Zorua was now drowning in his own hysterics.