(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.)
Wilton: "Well, Yellow, I want to know if you have any idea what you want to do."
(Wilton asked.)
Yellow: "I don't really know, Uncle."
(Yellow responded, a bit saddened by her own words.)
(Wilton thought for a moment.)
Wilton: "Well, you like Pokémon. Why don't you try going out on an adventure?"
Yellow: "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.)
Wilton: "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.)
Yellow: "What? You want to give me Dody? But you use him to travel, I can't."
(Yellow protested.)
Wilton: "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.)
Doduo: "Do-duo, Doduo!"
Yellow: "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.)
Yellow: "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:)
Yellow [in mind]: '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.)
Yellow: "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.)
Ash [in mind]: '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.)
Yellow: "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.)
Ash: "It's fine, Yellow. I'm not hurt. It was an accident."
(Yellow sighed in relief.)
Yellow: "Still, I feel awful."
(Ash chuckled.)
Ash: "Don't worry about it. But... what are you doing here, anyway?"
Yellow: "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.)
Ash: "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.)
Ash [in mind]: '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.)
Ash: "You know... if you want, you can come with me. I could even teach you the ropes."
(Yellow blinked in surprise.)
Yellow: "Wait, really? Are you sure? I mean, won't I just slow you down?"
(Ash handed her a napkin and grinned.)
Ash: "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.)
Ash: "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.)
Yellow: "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.)
Ash: "Well."
(Ash said, pulling a few empty Poké Balls from his bag.)
Ash: "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.)
Ash: "How about that Rattata?"
(Ash suggested.)
Ash: "They're usually easy to catch."
(Yellow nodded nervously.)
Yellow: "Okay... so I send in Dody, use a move to weaken it, and then throw the Poké Ball?"
Ash: "Exactly."
(Ash said.)
Ash: "Pick one of Dody's moves and give the command."
(Yellow took a deep breath.)
Yellow: "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.)
Yellow: "No, Dody!"
(Yellow shouted, eyes wide with panic.)
(She looked over at Ash for guidance.)
Ash: "It's fine."
(Ash said calmly, pushing her head back to the battle.)
Ash: "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.)
Yellow: "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.)
Ash: "It's weak now. You can throw a Poké Ball."
Yellow: "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!)
Yellow: "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.)
Yellow: "Um... thank you, Ash."
(she said quietly, trying to hide the redness in her cheeks.)
Ash [in mind]: 'Oh no.'
(Ash thought with an awkward smile.)
Ash [in mind]: '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.)
Ash: "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.)
Yellow: "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.)
[To Be Continued...]