Kurt, the Pokeball maker

{The Abra Show}

"[Welcome back, junior brothers and sisters, to the greatest show in all the world: Are You Courting Death?!]" Abra said.

"[I feel like I need another cup every day,]" Alakazam said, floating three cups of coffee behind him as he sipped from one.

Abra continued, "[For those of you just joining us after the break, our fellow sister Abratwo has left on a journey for her breakthrough tribulation.]"

Psyduck held his head in pain. "[Psyduck still doesn't understand. Psyduck's head hurts even more.]"

Alakazam gave the duck a cup of coffee. "[Just be glad we're only dealing with one of them this time.]"

"[Don't worry, silly senior brother,]" Abra said. "[Your junior sister will return next week, but for now, we have an exciting topic to discuss!]"

Drowzee was sitting in the corner, just trying to enjoy his book. "[It doesn't involve that time we had to hold you down, does it?]"

Alakazam let out a rare laugh. "[Haha! I hope it does—that was one of the better moments in this experience!]"

"[No, it doesn't, and I stand by what I said. There was a young master who needed to be put in his place, but you mean, fellow sect members didn't allow me to. How am I supposed to expand our sect like this?]"

"[Let's not and say we did]," Alakazam said, pointing his cup at Abra and taking another long sip.

"[So, what are we talking about? Can we get this over with quickly so I can finish my book?]" Drowzee asked.

"[Very, very wise junior brother. You must go back to reading the sect techniques, but for now, let's talk about it. There seems to be a mystery in the legendary Azalea realm!]"

"[Oh really? Noooo, what could it beeee?]" Alakazam said, not taking Abra's words seriously and fully expecting another made-up story.

"[You see, the Azalea realm has the legendary beast, Slowpoke, whose yawns can cause tsunamis! Just one bite of their tails could allow you to jump into the breakthrough immortal realm!]"

"[Literally no one says that. You say that. No normal person or Pokemon says that]," Alakazam said, pointing a finger at Abra.

"[Yeah, I've read a book on Azalea Town and the legends of the Slowpoke, but there's nothing on that,]" Drowzee added.

"[Silly brothers, that just means you're all frogs in a well, unable to see the world as it is. Allow me to educate you,]" Abra said, pulling out a book half as thick as she was tall.

They all looked at each other.

"[Psyduck feels like Psyduck would actually rather die.]"

"[I'm right there with you]," Alakazam agreed.

—--

{Back with the Gang}

After the gang caught up, they decided to head out to find Kurt and finally hand over the GS Ball. Finding Kurt wasn't hard—he was well-known as the Pokéball maker and also the former Gym Leader of Azalea Town before Bugsy took over.

As they walked out of town, they took the path leading just outside of Azalea. The main issue was that it took a few minutes since Kurt's property was far from town, so he could be close to the mountains where the Apricorns grew.

As they walked, they saw a house in the middle of a field. Approaching, they heard the sound of hammering, like metal being struck. Following the noise, they made their way around to the back.

The first thing they noticed was a Shuckle lounging around on the porch. Looking further to the left, they spotted two figures. The first was a familiar face with red hair—Silver, only this time he was alone. The second was an old man with slicked-back hair in a blue kimono, hammering away at a small, glowing-red disk on an anvil. He was intensely focused, so much so that he didn't notice the gang approaching.

Silver noticed them, raising his eyebrows and giving a slightly awkward wave. "Uh… hey, Ash… and, uh… Yellow…"

They walked up, and Ash gave him a thumbs-up. "5/10, but you're getting better. Green would be proud," he said, looking around. "By the way, where is she? Don't tell me she went off to steal something?"

Silver shook his head. "No, after I won the badge, Green told me I knew enough to go on my own. But she did mention wanting to meet up in Goldenrod City."

"I see. Yep, that's just like her," Ash said while Yellow nodded tiredly.

"So, Silver, how have you been?" Yellow asked, changing the subject. "And what are you doing here at Mr. Kurt's house?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Silver replied, his tone slipping back into its old, sharp edge. "I'm here to get a Pokéball and catch a strong Pokémon. What other reason is there?"

Ash put a hand on his shoulder. "Easy there, you're going full edge, lord. She was just asking a question."

"Right, sorry," Silver mumbled, bowing his head slightly. "I'm still not used to this… uh…"

"Having friends?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, that."

Yellow smiled at him. "It's okay, don't worry about it. I don't mind."

As Silver was about to say something else, Kurt put down his hammer and wiped his forehead, cooling the hot metal plates in water. "By the way, young man…"

Kurt pulled out the pieces, now revealed to be two parts of a Pokéball, and began assembling them. "What are you planning on doing with this Pokéball you're having me make?" he asked, adjusting the button. "Some special Pokémon you're after?"

Silver nodded. "Strong Pokémon are the only ones I really want."

Kurt gave an approving nod. "Hahaha… Such intensity you have!"

As he added the finishing touches, Kurt said, "Well, I don't care, as long as I know the Great Pokéballs I forge go to trainers who truly know how to use them."

Kurt placed the gray and dark blue Pokéball on the table, presenting it to Silver. "Here you are—the Heavy Ball."

As Silver took the Heavy Ball, Kurt finally noticed Ash and the others. "Oh, I see there are more of you. Very well then—what do you want?" Kurt said, his face becoming slightly more stern as he studied them.

Ash took the lead and sat down across from Kurt respectfully. "Hello, I'm Ash, and I was sent by Professor Oak to give you something."

At that, Kurt's expression softened. "Oh, Sam sent you, did he? Alright, let's see—what did he give you?"

Ash reached into his bag and pulled out a golden Pokéball, catching even Silver's attention. "Here, this is the Pokéball he wants you to look at. We named it the GS Ball for obvious reasons," Ash explained as he placed the ball on the table.

Kurt took it and examined it closely. "Hmm, interesting. For one, I can tell it's not made from any Apricorn I know of, and it's definitely not that cheap material they use to mass-produce Pokéballs nowadays."

"So, can you see anything at all?" Misty asked, leaning forward to get a closer look.

"Yeah, like any secret functions or something?" Brock added, leaning in just as eagerly.

"Nope. I have no idea," Kurt said bluntly, causing Brock and Misty to lose their balance and stumble to the ground.

"Really? Nothing at all? That's disappointing…" Misty mumbled.

"Forgive me, but it's impossible to learn much with just a glance. One thing I can tell is that this Pokéball is flawed—it's missing the mechanism to open, so there's likely no Pokémon inside. But beyond that, I'll need more time to investigate."

"Anyway, thank you for delivering this to me. I'll be sure to look into it, and as soon as I find something, I'll—" Kurt started but stopped abruptly as they all heard a voice outside.

"Ha! Pokéballs made out of fruit? I'd love to see what kind of trashy Pokéballs those are!"

Kurt's expression shifted to annoyance as a tick mark seemed to appear on his forehead. He rushed outside, shouting, "WHAT ARE YOU CALLING TRASHY, BOY?!"

Everyone else tilted their heads out the door and saw that the speaker was Ethan, who was standing beside a young girl with pigtails—Kurt's granddaughter, Maizie.

"Wh-who?!" Ethan stammered.

Maizie peeked her head out and laughed helplessly. "Remember that grandpa I was telling you about?"

Kurt eyed Ethan sternly. "Listen here, boy, this method is the original way Pokéballs were crafted. The ones mass-produced and handed out nowadays are inferior in every way. I should know—I helped create the modern Pokéball, and I can tell you the quality, strength, and overall aerodynamic structure are lacking."

He turned around, still looking annoyed. "The only thing they're good for is being given to beginners and talentless trainers like you."

Ethan frowned at that. "Hey, if you're gonna talk smack, you better see what I've got first." He tapped his arm and pointed at himself. "Try me—I'll master your Pokéball in no time!"

Kurt grunted, his annoyance only slightly tempered. "You've got spirit, I'll give you that. Fine. Maizie, take him to the trees so he can pick one out."

"No need for that, old-timer!" Ethan said, reaching into his bag and pulling out an Apricorn, which clearly had a bite mark on its hard skin. "I already have one right here!"

Kurt's eye twitched. "Kid, did you… try to eat an Apricorn without knowing how?"

"Hey, that doesn't matter! All that matters is I have one of these fruits!" Ethan argued as Kurt sighed and took it from him.

Meanwhile, Silver was watching the interaction, cringing slightly. He got up and looked at Ash. "Sorry, but I'll be heading out first. I want to go catch that Pokémon now rather than later."

"That's fine. I might head up to the mountains later, but if not, see you around," Ash replied.

Silver walked off, and only then did Ethan notice Ash and the others were there. He walked over and slapped Ash on the back. "Hey, Ash! Didn't think I'd see you so soon—and in a place like this! I see your friends are back, too!"

"Uh, hey, Ethan," Ash said, glancing over as Kurt started crafting the Pokéball. "Yeah, I was sent here to deliver something to Kurt."

"Man, that's cool. Alright, hey, you wanna—" Ethan began, but Maizie quickly shushed him.

"Shh, be quiet. Grandpa's working. You can't be too loud, or you'll disturb him."

"Oh, sorry, hehe," Ethan muttered, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

After a few minutes, Kurt finished crafting and began assembling the Pokéball. "As much as I don't like your attitude, I suppose that doesn't matter as long as you can prove you're a worthy trainer."

Kurt placed a green Pokéball on the table. "Here, this is the Friend Ball. Would you like any modifications, like a change of color?"

"No need," Ethan replied. "I'll take it as is."

Kurt sighed and turned back to Ash and his friends. "As for you four, sorry for the wait. I'll start examining the GS Ball now. In the meantime, why don't you head up the mountain with Maizie and gather some Apricorns? I'll make them into Pokéballs for you."

"Wow, really? You'll make Pokéballs for us?" Misty said excitedly.

"As a breeder, I'm very interested in the Friend Ball," Brock said, folding his arms and nodding with a grin.

Only Yellow looked somewhat indifferent, smiling softly but staying quiet. She already cherished her Pokémon and wasn't particularly in the mood to catch more.

Maizie giggled. "Alright, follow me! I'll guide you to all the Apricorn trees!"

As Maizie led them off Kurt's property, suddenly Ethan jogged up to join them. "Hold up! I'm coming with you. I need to head up to the mountain too—gotta put this to use," he said, holding up his Friend Ball.

Maizie tilted her head curiously. "Oh, have you decided what Pokémon you're going to catch with it?"

"You said the Friend Ball is supposed to make Pokémon like you more, right? I'm gonna catch that Pokémon you mentioned wanting and give it to you!" Ethan said confidently, balancing the ball on his finger.

"Really?!" Maizie's eyes lit up, sparkling with excitement. "Thank you so much!"

Ethan rubbed his nose proudly. "It's no problem! So, which Pokémon did you say you wanted?"

"It's up in the mountains, usually near the Black Apricorn tree. So it's on the way," Maizie explained. "We can make some stops to collect Apricorns for everyone if you all don't mind."

"I don't mind," Brock said. "Gives me some time to appreciate the scenery."

Misty nodded. "Yeah, it's been a while since we've done something this relaxing. You'd be surprised by some of the stories we've got."

"Yeah, and I want to see all the Pokémon that live up there," Yellow added enthusiastically.

They all turned to Ash, who shrugged. "Sure, why not? I don't mind a detour. Let's go, then."

Ethan grinned and threw an arm around Ash's shoulders. "Looks like we're off on another adventure, you and me—two strong dudes. Let's just hope this one isn't as crazy as our last one."

"Wait, what happened last time?" Yellow asked, intrigued.

"Well, it's a great story, you see—" Ethan began as they all started their journey up the mountain.