Heart of Stone
"Hurry! It's gonna get away!" The commanding officer yelled at his underlings as they pursued their target. On wings of stone, she was not easy to keep up with. She was an Aerodactyl, a very rare Pokemon of the ancient past. The men chasing her were members of Team Rocket and they intended to sell her for an immense profit. Of course, they had to catch her first.
The Aerodactyl had become desperate after being injured in combat, but managed to get a couple miles ahead of the pursuing criminals. She collapsed, trying to catch her breath. She had never liked humans. The very thought of being captured by one was enough to make her blood boil. Once she had gathered enough strength to fly again, she flew towards a lake nearby and hid in some thorn bushes. Her rock hard hide easily withstood the sharp thorns. Also, it was unlikely that her pursuers would suspect that she would hide there. After a few minutes, she fell asleep.
"Man, it sure has been a long time since we last saw Team Rocket, huh?" Ash joked at Pikachu as they headed home after visiting Brock in Pewter City. After completing his League challenge in the Hoenn region, Ash noticed that Team Rocket had stopped harassing him. That was fine by him and Pikachu. Maybe their boss had finally lost interest and assigned them to another mission. Either way, it meant that there would be no surprises for the two friends on the way home. Or so they thought.
Just as Ash was starting to get hungry, Pikachu alerted him to a potential threat ahead. Taking Pikachu's sudden gibberish seriously, Ash walked off the main path and into the woods. Staying within sight of the path, he inched forward and stopped when he saw a small group of Team Rocket members. They didn't seem to know he was there.
"Well, it couldn't have gone far. Split up and check this side of the forest. We'll meet up here after thirty minutes and check the other side." After the debriefing, the group of grunts disappeared into the forest across from where Ash and Pikachu were. "Team Rocket, huh? Well, at least they aren't looking for us this time. Time to find a spot to cook some lunch." Ash went in the opposite direction from the path and came to a small lake. "Great. We can use the water to make some soup. Sound good, Pikachu?" Pikachu answered with a smile and a squeal.
After gathering some dried wood, Ash had Pikachu ignite them with a Thundershock. Soon, he had a pot of water boiling and added extra ingredients. Brock had given Ash some supplies and a recipe. Ash wasn't that good at cooking, but the recipe was easy enough for him to follow that he got it just right. At least, Pikachu thought he did a good job.
As Aerodactyl stirred in her sleep, a wonderful aroma filled her nostrils. She immediately awoke and felt her mouth watering at it. She was hungry, but knew that the humans chasing her may be nearby. Ever so cautiously, she peeked out of the thorn bushes to look around without making a sound. The lake was in plain sight, but the source of the aroma was just out of her field of vision. Hoping it was safe; she stood up and walked out of the bushes.
Ash had just finished his bowl of soup when he heard some rustling in some bushes behind him. When he and Pikachu turned to look, Ash froze with fear. The first thing he saw emerge from the bushes was the head of an Aerodactyl. He had a close encounter with one before and nearly ended up being devoured by it! He was sure that this one would also try to make a meal out of him.
The Aerodactyl adjusted her vision when her eyes were hit by the bright sunlight. To her shock, she saw a human boy standing next to what seemed to be a metal pot filled with a delicious liquid, possibly the source of the delightful aroma. However, he did not seem to be one of her pursuers since his clothing didn't match theirs. But since he had a Pikachu with him, she would probably have to fight him for the soup.
Ash was prepared to tell Pikachu to attack. The Aerodactyl looked hungry and seemed to be looking at him. However, as soon as the Aerodactyl turned to face him, Ash felt his jaw drop. She didn't seem much different from the last Aerodactyl he saw, but she was a little smaller and leaner, having a more slender body. Also, the undersides of her wings, instead of being a royal purple, were a bright pink. However, what really caught Ash's eye were her large perky breasts. They stood prominently on her chest, right were one would expect to see them. Ash knew right then that this Aerodactyl was female. Needless to say, the Aerodactyl didn't know what to make of the odd stare this human boy was giving her.
Pikachu could tell that Ash was in a bit of a trance and gave him a minor zap to snap him out of it. After a moment of wondering where this Aerodactyl had come from, it hit him. "Team Rocket..... They must have been after her! Pikachu, we have to catch her so she doesn't fall into their hands! Ready?" Pikachu jumped in front of him and took a fighting stance. The Aerodactyl wasn't surprised that this human wanted to capture her and spread her wings. A tiny Pikachu, she could handle.
"Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Pikachu made a lightning-fast dash at the Aerodactyl and nailed her in the abdomen. However, since she was part Rock type, it didn't do much. Ash knew that the use of a powerful Electric type attack would be effective, but the blast might get the attention of Team Rocket. He was going to have to be careful to not use anything that would be too loud.
The Aerodactyl smacked Pikachu away with a Wing Attack and took to the air. "NO! If she goes too high, they might see her! Pikachu, stop her!" Pikachu ran up a nearby tree and managed to grab the end of her pointed tail. The Aerodactyl noticed and made a sharp dive. When she was about to slam Pikachu into the ground, he zapped her with a low-level Thundershock. The voltage wasn't that loud at all, but stunned the Aerodactyl enough to drop to the ground. As she regained her composure, Ash just remembered something. "Oh right! Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Pikachu's tail began to shine a bright silver color. At high speed, he ran at the Aerodactyl. When she saw him coming, the Aerodactyl tried to use Bite. However, Pikachu jumped short and brought his iron hard tail down onto her snout! This blow left her heavily dazed and was no longer in any shape to continue the battle. She collapsed in a heap.
"OK, I'll take it from here!" Ash reached for an empty Poke Ball from his belt and activated it. "I hope this works. Poke Ball, GO!" With his signature toss, Ash threw the ball at the half-unconscious Aerodactyl. Upon contact, the Poke Ball opened and the Aerodactyl was sucked inside in the form of red light. The ball soon closed and began to rock back and forth. Ash and Pikachu watched with bated breath, hoping she would surrender. After a moment, a dull chime was heard and the Poke Ball fell silent.
Ash walked over to the Poke Ball and picked it up. "Thanks, Pikachu. She'll be safe now." Pikachu gave his Trainer a happy grin. "OK. Now, let's get outta here!" Ash put a tight lid on the pot and ran towards Viridian City with Pikachu in tow. After a few minutes of running, the two pals stopped to catch their breath. After a long walk, they finally reached Viridian City. Ash quickly looked back to make sure that they weren't being followed and breathed a sigh of relief that no one was coming. They had gotten away and Team Rocket was still clueless about it.
Knowing that Aerodactyl was still in bad shape, the first place Ash visited was the Pokemon Center. Having been there more than once, he knew where to find it. When he went inside, he was relieved that there were no other visitors, meaning that Aerodactyl would be taken care of first.
Ash ran over to the front desk and ran the bell. A second later, Nurse Joy popped up from behind the desk. She was sorting some files in a low drawer. She recognized Ash right away. "Hello, Ash! What can I do for you?" Ash handed her a Poke Ball. "I just caught an Aerodactyl, believe it or not, and I was hoping you could heal her somehow. Especially without taking her out of the ball." The mention of an Aerodactyl surprised Nurse Joy, but she couldn't understand why Ash didn't want her to release her from the Poke Ball.
"Why do you want her to stay in the Poke Ball?" Ash scratched his head, "Er, call it a hunch. I just have a bad feeling that letting her out would be a bad idea. Could you heal her without letting her out?" Nurse Joy sighed, "Actually, yes. It will take a little longer than a normal procedure, but it will be done." Nurse Joy took the Poke Ball in hand and went into the back room. With nothing else to do, Ash just reclined on a sofa nearby. He really hoped that Nurse Joy would take his advice.
About twenty minutes later, Ash heard the doors open and saw Nurse Joy emerge with the Poke Ball he gave her. Ash ran over to her, "How is she?" Joy just smiled, "She's just fine. I never opened it, just like you suggested." She handed the ball back to Ash. Ash thanked the nurse and went on his way with Pikachu in tow.
That night, Ash set up camp just outside Viridian City. Ash decided to reheat the same soup he and Pikachu had for lunch so it wouldn't spoil. Once the soup was nice and hot, Ash decided to let Aerodactyl out. Without giving the idea a second thought, Ash released Aerodactyl from her ball in a flash of light. A second later, her graceful form appeared from the light.
"Hey, Aerodactyl. I'm Ash and I'm your new Trainer. I hope we can be good friends. Would you like some soup?" The Aerodactyl looked back at the boy and thought about what he called himself. When she heard the word "Trainer", she immediately felt that he was calling himself her owner. No human could command her. She wouldn't allow it!
All of a sudden, Aerodactyl gave Ash a hard shove with her head, knocking him down. Next, she picked up the pot of soup in her mouth and chewed it up. After swallowing the soup, she spit out the mangled remains of the pot. "HEY! That's the only pot I've got with me! WHOA!" Ash quickly ducked when the Aerodactyl launched a Hyper Beam at him! After it struck the ground, a small explosion occurred. Using the dust cloud as cover, Aerodactyl took to the night sky and headed north, back to Viridian Forest.
Once the dust cloud had settled, Ash and Pikachu looked around and saw Aerodactyl flying away. "Wait a sec..... That's the way to Viridian Forest! Team Rocket's still there!" Pikachu ran ahead a short distance, but stopped when he heard Ash call him. "No, Pikachu. I want you to stay here and watch our stuff. I'll go find Aerodactyl." Pikachu was hesitant, but agreed. With Aerodactyl's Poke Ball in hand, Ash ran off towards Viridian Forest.
Aerodactyl felt so confident that she was home free as she cleared Viridian City. There was no way that boy could catch her now. She flew on for a few minutes before deciding to rest for the night. She flew over Viridian Forest while looking for a small clearing to rest.
"FIRE!!!" Aerodactyl looked around suddenly when she heard a loud boom. Suddenly, a large net entangled her! With a thud, she hit the ground hard. "We've got it now! Surround it!" Aerodactyl looked around to see the same group of humans from earlier that day. The leader spoke, "You've given us a lot of trouble. Secure the net!" Enraged, Aerodactyl tore her way free from the net and lashed out with her fangs. The criminals backed away, but the leader countered by sending out a Cloyster! "Even if we can't capture you alive, I'm sure there are some museums that would pay a large sum for an Aerodactyl corpse. ATTACK!"
"I...... I hope I'm not too late...." Ash had been running for almost twenty minutes straight. He had just come out of Viridian City and entered Viridian Forest. However, he was so exhausted; he wandered of the main path and into the trees. After stumbling through the darkness for another ten minutes, the sound of combat got his attention. "That's got to be them!" Ash made his way towards the main path and saw Aerodactyl on the brink of collapse while the group of Team Rocket members stood behind a Cloyster. Ash could see numerous wounds caused by Icicle Spear attacks. It also looked like the Cloyster was about to fire one more. (No! I won't let them kill you, Aerodactyl!)
"FINISH IT!" The Cloyster fired a single long Icicle Spear at Aerodactyl. She braced herself for the end and closed her eyes, too afraid to watch her death come. She shuddered at the sound of a sickening sound, the sound of something sharp tearing into flesh. However, she didn't feel any pain. Curious, she opened her eyes and gasped. In front of her, stood the form of the same boy who had captured her earlier that day. An Icicle Spear had been impaled through his chest, piercing his heart. Aerodactyl couldn't understand it. Why had a selfish human taken a potentially lethal attack for her? She had always believed that humans were greedy and inconsiderate. Before she even knew what was happening, Aerodactyl felt tears trickling down her face.
After a moment of eerie silence, Ash spoke, "I..... won't let you.....die...Aerodactyl..... I promise..... I promise.....to...always.....protect....." He collapsed on his side. A black puddle spread around him. The leader spoke, "Poor kid. I didn't want this to concern anyone else, but... Wha... What's going on?!" Aerodactyl was gathering energy into her mouth for a Hyper Beam attack! Her body was acting on its own. Overcome with a type of rage that she didn't think she could experience, Aerodactyl blasted the whole group of Rocket's, destroying them all in an instant.
Aerodactyl walked over to the boy who had saved her. He did not move. Still, she wanted to return the favor. Grasping his body in her claws, she flew towards Viridian City, hoping that he could be saved. She tried to spot a building that may have humans there that could help Ash. At last, she saw the Pokemon Center. Not wasting anymore time, she swooped into the lobby. Nurse Joy almost panicked, but saw Aerodactyl gently place Ash on the floor. She looked at nurse joy with a pained expression. Understanding the situation, Nurse Joy placed Ash on a stretcher and pushed him into the ER.
As the hours went by, Aerodactyl pondered why her Trainer had taken that attack for her. The more she thought back, the more at peace she felt. Something about that boy made her feel content. Aerodactyl was startled by the sound of the ER doors opening. Nurse Joy walked out and over to Aerodactyl. At first, she didn't even look at her. Slowly, Nurse Joy tilted her face up until it was parallel to Aerodactyl's. She had a small grin on her face. "He is going to be fine. He'll have to stay here for a week or two, but he'll make a full recovery." Aerodactyl felt as if a large weight had been lifted from her wings. Nurse Joy added, "Please come with me."
Nurse Joy led Aerodactyl to Ash's room. She felt terrible guilt when she saw all those tubes attached to his body. "You can stay with him, but please be quiet. He needs rest." Nurse Joy closed the door and went to bed herself. Aerodactyl walked over to Ash and noticed a second bed next to his. She climbed in and pulled the covers over herself with her teeth. For the next few minutes, she stared at the gentle face of the boy who saved her. So many feelings were mixing in her heart. Hoping she would feel surer of herself after a good nights' sleep, Aerodactyl closed her eyes.
"Hey..... Are you...awake?" Aerodactyl awoke to the gentle voice she heard. She looked at the boy next to her. He was looking right back at her with his left hand resting on her face. "I hope...you aren't hurt..." She just stared at him with such relief that Ash even blushed a little. A moment later, he said, "Um, if you don't mind, may I...give you a name?" Aerodactyl grinned. Hoping that meant "yes" Ash spoke, "May I call you.....Sierra?" Aerodactyl remained silent. Sierra. What a beautiful name. To show her approval, she gave him a loving lick. However, Ash was too exhausted to say anything else and merely caressed her face before falling asleep. Soon, Sierra joined him. No longer would she see this boy as a threat. From this day forward, he would be her most precious friend.
The Aerodactyl had become desperate after being injured in combat, but managed to get a couple miles ahead of the pursuing criminals. She collapsed, trying to catch her breath. She had never liked humans. The very thought of being captured by one was enough to make her blood boil. Once she had gathered enough strength to fly again, she flew towards a lake nearby and hid in some thorn bushes. Her rock hard hide easily withstood the sharp thorns. Also, it was unlikely that her pursuers would suspect that she would hide there. After a few minutes, she fell asleep.
"Man, it sure has been a long time since we last saw Team Rocket, huh?" Ash joked at Pikachu as they headed home after visiting Brock in Pewter City. After completing his League challenge in the Hoenn region, Ash noticed that Team Rocket had stopped harassing him. That was fine by him and Pikachu. Maybe their boss had finally lost interest and assigned them to another mission. Either way, it meant that there would be no surprises for the two friends on the way home. Or so they thought.
Just as Ash was starting to get hungry, Pikachu alerted him to a potential threat ahead. Taking Pikachu's sudden gibberish seriously, Ash walked off the main path and into the woods. Staying within sight of the path, he inched forward and stopped when he saw a small group of Team Rocket members. They didn't seem to know he was there.
"Well, it couldn't have gone far. Split up and check this side of the forest. We'll meet up here after thirty minutes and check the other side." After the debriefing, the group of grunts disappeared into the forest across from where Ash and Pikachu were. "Team Rocket, huh? Well, at least they aren't looking for us this time. Time to find a spot to cook some lunch." Ash went in the opposite direction from the path and came to a small lake. "Great. We can use the water to make some soup. Sound good, Pikachu?" Pikachu answered with a smile and a squeal.
After gathering some dried wood, Ash had Pikachu ignite them with a Thundershock. Soon, he had a pot of water boiling and added extra ingredients. Brock had given Ash some supplies and a recipe. Ash wasn't that good at cooking, but the recipe was easy enough for him to follow that he got it just right. At least, Pikachu thought he did a good job.
As Aerodactyl stirred in her sleep, a wonderful aroma filled her nostrils. She immediately awoke and felt her mouth watering at it. She was hungry, but knew that the humans chasing her may be nearby. Ever so cautiously, she peeked out of the thorn bushes to look around without making a sound. The lake was in plain sight, but the source of the aroma was just out of her field of vision. Hoping it was safe; she stood up and walked out of the bushes.
Ash had just finished his bowl of soup when he heard some rustling in some bushes behind him. When he and Pikachu turned to look, Ash froze with fear. The first thing he saw emerge from the bushes was the head of an Aerodactyl. He had a close encounter with one before and nearly ended up being devoured by it! He was sure that this one would also try to make a meal out of him.
The Aerodactyl adjusted her vision when her eyes were hit by the bright sunlight. To her shock, she saw a human boy standing next to what seemed to be a metal pot filled with a delicious liquid, possibly the source of the delightful aroma. However, he did not seem to be one of her pursuers since his clothing didn't match theirs. But since he had a Pikachu with him, she would probably have to fight him for the soup.
Ash was prepared to tell Pikachu to attack. The Aerodactyl looked hungry and seemed to be looking at him. However, as soon as the Aerodactyl turned to face him, Ash felt his jaw drop. She didn't seem much different from the last Aerodactyl he saw, but she was a little smaller and leaner, having a more slender body. Also, the undersides of her wings, instead of being a royal purple, were a bright pink. However, what really caught Ash's eye were her large perky breasts. They stood prominently on her chest, right were one would expect to see them. Ash knew right then that this Aerodactyl was female. Needless to say, the Aerodactyl didn't know what to make of the odd stare this human boy was giving her.
Pikachu could tell that Ash was in a bit of a trance and gave him a minor zap to snap him out of it. After a moment of wondering where this Aerodactyl had come from, it hit him. "Team Rocket..... They must have been after her! Pikachu, we have to catch her so she doesn't fall into their hands! Ready?" Pikachu jumped in front of him and took a fighting stance. The Aerodactyl wasn't surprised that this human wanted to capture her and spread her wings. A tiny Pikachu, she could handle.
"Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Pikachu made a lightning-fast dash at the Aerodactyl and nailed her in the abdomen. However, since she was part Rock type, it didn't do much. Ash knew that the use of a powerful Electric type attack would be effective, but the blast might get the attention of Team Rocket. He was going to have to be careful to not use anything that would be too loud.
The Aerodactyl smacked Pikachu away with a Wing Attack and took to the air. "NO! If she goes too high, they might see her! Pikachu, stop her!" Pikachu ran up a nearby tree and managed to grab the end of her pointed tail. The Aerodactyl noticed and made a sharp dive. When she was about to slam Pikachu into the ground, he zapped her with a low-level Thundershock. The voltage wasn't that loud at all, but stunned the Aerodactyl enough to drop to the ground. As she regained her composure, Ash just remembered something. "Oh right! Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Pikachu's tail began to shine a bright silver color. At high speed, he ran at the Aerodactyl. When she saw him coming, the Aerodactyl tried to use Bite. However, Pikachu jumped short and brought his iron hard tail down onto her snout! This blow left her heavily dazed and was no longer in any shape to continue the battle. She collapsed in a heap.
"OK, I'll take it from here!" Ash reached for an empty Poke Ball from his belt and activated it. "I hope this works. Poke Ball, GO!" With his signature toss, Ash threw the ball at the half-unconscious Aerodactyl. Upon contact, the Poke Ball opened and the Aerodactyl was sucked inside in the form of red light. The ball soon closed and began to rock back and forth. Ash and Pikachu watched with bated breath, hoping she would surrender. After a moment, a dull chime was heard and the Poke Ball fell silent.
Ash walked over to the Poke Ball and picked it up. "Thanks, Pikachu. She'll be safe now." Pikachu gave his Trainer a happy grin. "OK. Now, let's get outta here!" Ash put a tight lid on the pot and ran towards Viridian City with Pikachu in tow. After a few minutes of running, the two pals stopped to catch their breath. After a long walk, they finally reached Viridian City. Ash quickly looked back to make sure that they weren't being followed and breathed a sigh of relief that no one was coming. They had gotten away and Team Rocket was still clueless about it.
Knowing that Aerodactyl was still in bad shape, the first place Ash visited was the Pokemon Center. Having been there more than once, he knew where to find it. When he went inside, he was relieved that there were no other visitors, meaning that Aerodactyl would be taken care of first.
Ash ran over to the front desk and ran the bell. A second later, Nurse Joy popped up from behind the desk. She was sorting some files in a low drawer. She recognized Ash right away. "Hello, Ash! What can I do for you?" Ash handed her a Poke Ball. "I just caught an Aerodactyl, believe it or not, and I was hoping you could heal her somehow. Especially without taking her out of the ball." The mention of an Aerodactyl surprised Nurse Joy, but she couldn't understand why Ash didn't want her to release her from the Poke Ball.
"Why do you want her to stay in the Poke Ball?" Ash scratched his head, "Er, call it a hunch. I just have a bad feeling that letting her out would be a bad idea. Could you heal her without letting her out?" Nurse Joy sighed, "Actually, yes. It will take a little longer than a normal procedure, but it will be done." Nurse Joy took the Poke Ball in hand and went into the back room. With nothing else to do, Ash just reclined on a sofa nearby. He really hoped that Nurse Joy would take his advice.
About twenty minutes later, Ash heard the doors open and saw Nurse Joy emerge with the Poke Ball he gave her. Ash ran over to her, "How is she?" Joy just smiled, "She's just fine. I never opened it, just like you suggested." She handed the ball back to Ash. Ash thanked the nurse and went on his way with Pikachu in tow.
That night, Ash set up camp just outside Viridian City. Ash decided to reheat the same soup he and Pikachu had for lunch so it wouldn't spoil. Once the soup was nice and hot, Ash decided to let Aerodactyl out. Without giving the idea a second thought, Ash released Aerodactyl from her ball in a flash of light. A second later, her graceful form appeared from the light.
"Hey, Aerodactyl. I'm Ash and I'm your new Trainer. I hope we can be good friends. Would you like some soup?" The Aerodactyl looked back at the boy and thought about what he called himself. When she heard the word "Trainer", she immediately felt that he was calling himself her owner. No human could command her. She wouldn't allow it!
All of a sudden, Aerodactyl gave Ash a hard shove with her head, knocking him down. Next, she picked up the pot of soup in her mouth and chewed it up. After swallowing the soup, she spit out the mangled remains of the pot. "HEY! That's the only pot I've got with me! WHOA!" Ash quickly ducked when the Aerodactyl launched a Hyper Beam at him! After it struck the ground, a small explosion occurred. Using the dust cloud as cover, Aerodactyl took to the night sky and headed north, back to Viridian Forest.
Once the dust cloud had settled, Ash and Pikachu looked around and saw Aerodactyl flying away. "Wait a sec..... That's the way to Viridian Forest! Team Rocket's still there!" Pikachu ran ahead a short distance, but stopped when he heard Ash call him. "No, Pikachu. I want you to stay here and watch our stuff. I'll go find Aerodactyl." Pikachu was hesitant, but agreed. With Aerodactyl's Poke Ball in hand, Ash ran off towards Viridian Forest.
Aerodactyl felt so confident that she was home free as she cleared Viridian City. There was no way that boy could catch her now. She flew on for a few minutes before deciding to rest for the night. She flew over Viridian Forest while looking for a small clearing to rest.
"FIRE!!!" Aerodactyl looked around suddenly when she heard a loud boom. Suddenly, a large net entangled her! With a thud, she hit the ground hard. "We've got it now! Surround it!" Aerodactyl looked around to see the same group of humans from earlier that day. The leader spoke, "You've given us a lot of trouble. Secure the net!" Enraged, Aerodactyl tore her way free from the net and lashed out with her fangs. The criminals backed away, but the leader countered by sending out a Cloyster! "Even if we can't capture you alive, I'm sure there are some museums that would pay a large sum for an Aerodactyl corpse. ATTACK!"
"I...... I hope I'm not too late...." Ash had been running for almost twenty minutes straight. He had just come out of Viridian City and entered Viridian Forest. However, he was so exhausted; he wandered of the main path and into the trees. After stumbling through the darkness for another ten minutes, the sound of combat got his attention. "That's got to be them!" Ash made his way towards the main path and saw Aerodactyl on the brink of collapse while the group of Team Rocket members stood behind a Cloyster. Ash could see numerous wounds caused by Icicle Spear attacks. It also looked like the Cloyster was about to fire one more. (No! I won't let them kill you, Aerodactyl!)
"FINISH IT!" The Cloyster fired a single long Icicle Spear at Aerodactyl. She braced herself for the end and closed her eyes, too afraid to watch her death come. She shuddered at the sound of a sickening sound, the sound of something sharp tearing into flesh. However, she didn't feel any pain. Curious, she opened her eyes and gasped. In front of her, stood the form of the same boy who had captured her earlier that day. An Icicle Spear had been impaled through his chest, piercing his heart. Aerodactyl couldn't understand it. Why had a selfish human taken a potentially lethal attack for her? She had always believed that humans were greedy and inconsiderate. Before she even knew what was happening, Aerodactyl felt tears trickling down her face.
After a moment of eerie silence, Ash spoke, "I..... won't let you.....die...Aerodactyl..... I promise..... I promise.....to...always.....protect....." He collapsed on his side. A black puddle spread around him. The leader spoke, "Poor kid. I didn't want this to concern anyone else, but... Wha... What's going on?!" Aerodactyl was gathering energy into her mouth for a Hyper Beam attack! Her body was acting on its own. Overcome with a type of rage that she didn't think she could experience, Aerodactyl blasted the whole group of Rocket's, destroying them all in an instant.
Aerodactyl walked over to the boy who had saved her. He did not move. Still, she wanted to return the favor. Grasping his body in her claws, she flew towards Viridian City, hoping that he could be saved. She tried to spot a building that may have humans there that could help Ash. At last, she saw the Pokemon Center. Not wasting anymore time, she swooped into the lobby. Nurse Joy almost panicked, but saw Aerodactyl gently place Ash on the floor. She looked at nurse joy with a pained expression. Understanding the situation, Nurse Joy placed Ash on a stretcher and pushed him into the ER.
As the hours went by, Aerodactyl pondered why her Trainer had taken that attack for her. The more she thought back, the more at peace she felt. Something about that boy made her feel content. Aerodactyl was startled by the sound of the ER doors opening. Nurse Joy walked out and over to Aerodactyl. At first, she didn't even look at her. Slowly, Nurse Joy tilted her face up until it was parallel to Aerodactyl's. She had a small grin on her face. "He is going to be fine. He'll have to stay here for a week or two, but he'll make a full recovery." Aerodactyl felt as if a large weight had been lifted from her wings. Nurse Joy added, "Please come with me."
Nurse Joy led Aerodactyl to Ash's room. She felt terrible guilt when she saw all those tubes attached to his body. "You can stay with him, but please be quiet. He needs rest." Nurse Joy closed the door and went to bed herself. Aerodactyl walked over to Ash and noticed a second bed next to his. She climbed in and pulled the covers over herself with her teeth. For the next few minutes, she stared at the gentle face of the boy who saved her. So many feelings were mixing in her heart. Hoping she would feel surer of herself after a good nights' sleep, Aerodactyl closed her eyes.
"Hey..... Are you...awake?" Aerodactyl awoke to the gentle voice she heard. She looked at the boy next to her. He was looking right back at her with his left hand resting on her face. "I hope...you aren't hurt..." She just stared at him with such relief that Ash even blushed a little. A moment later, he said, "Um, if you don't mind, may I...give you a name?" Aerodactyl grinned. Hoping that meant "yes" Ash spoke, "May I call you.....Sierra?" Aerodactyl remained silent. Sierra. What a beautiful name. To show her approval, she gave him a loving lick. However, Ash was too exhausted to say anything else and merely caressed her face before falling asleep. Soon, Sierra joined him. No longer would she see this boy as a threat. From this day forward, he would be her most precious friend.
Chapter End Notes:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended, and is applicable for all consecutive chapters that follow.