Larvitar

While the gang was on their way to New Bark Town where Ash could find out about the Silver Conference, they got a message from Prof. Elm. Prof. Elm had asked the gang to pick up a Pokemon egg from a woman named Naomi, who was the director of a marine Pokemon laboratory. The marine Pokemon laboratory was a lab where Naomi studied water type Pokemon. As soon as the gang made it to the lab, Naomi handed the egg over to the gang; it was a green egg. Naomi explained to the gang that the egg was from a Pokemon preserve, but it was stolen by poachers. She also explained that the egg somehow got away from the poachers and it was found and brought to her lab and then she called Prof. Elm to care for it. So the gang had the job of delivering the egg to Prof. Elm.

Now the gang was on the road to New Bark Town, and they were now having lunch. Ash, who had been taking care of the egg this whole time, was stroking the egg gently with his hands.

"You know." Ash said to the others. "I'm feeling a scared presence from inside the egg. It's like the baby Pokemon doesn't want to come out of the egg."

"But why though?" Misty asked. "I mean I'm sure that all baby Pokemon can't wait to hatch from their eggs."

"Well this egg was stolen by poachers." Brock said. "So it must have gone through something really bad, which would explain why the baby Pokemon doesn't want to come out."

"I hope the egg does hatch soon." Tomo said. "I'd like to see what Pokemon is inside the egg."

"So do I." Ash said. He continued to rub the egg gently.

Suddenly the egg started to glow.

"Hey it's going to hatch." Tomo said excitedly.

The gang watched excitedly as the egg continued to glow brightly and then the egg hatched. The Pokemon was green with black markings and a red tail. There was also a blunt spike on it's head.

"It's a Larvitar." Brock said.

Ash looked at Larvitar on the Pokedex.

"Larvitar, the Rock Skin Pokemon. It feeds on soil. After it has eaten a large mountain, it will fall asleep so it can grow."

Ash placed a hand on Larvitar to stroke it, but he took it off again quick.

"Larvitar is freezing." He said.

Brock touched Larvitar next.

"You're right Ash." Brock said. "This body temperature is way too low for a rock type Pokemon. We need to get it to the Pokemon Center."

He looked through the guidebook to see if there was a Pokemon Center nearby and the good news is there was. So they wrapped Larvitar in a blanket and quickly ran to the Pokemon Center.

At the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy checked Larvitar out. But she couldn't find anything wrong with it, so she decided to call Prof. Elm for help. Unfortunately Prof. Elm was not home, so she sent him a email. All she could do now is keep Larvitar warm; she wrapped it up in another blanket and put an electric heater on.

"I just hope Prof. Elm will get my message and get here as soon as he can." Nurse Joy said.

There was trouble; it was raining very hard outside and thunder and lightning was coming down, then the Pokemon Center's power went out. Making matters worse, the lightning struck the emergency generator and without the power Larvitar will become a lot colder. Nurse Joy, Misty and Brock went to inspect the generator. To help Larvitar, Ash released Quilava and Quilava used the flames on it's back to warm Larvitar up. Ash held Larvitar in his arms to warm him up even more.

"Hang in there Larvitar." He said.

"Will Larvitar be okay Ash?" Tomo asked him.

"If we keep Larvitar warm, it will be okay Tomo." Ash replied.

Tomo sat down next to Ash.

In New Bark Town, Prof. Elm was having dinner with Prof. Oak and Delia Ketchum. Delia wanted to go visit Prof. Elm with Prof. Oak so that she could also visit her sons Ash and Tomo. While they were eating, Delia noticed Prof. Elm's computer was starting to beep to say that he had email. Prof. Elm checked it immediately and it was the message that Nurse Joy sent to him about the sick Larvitar. Prof. Oak saw the email too and suggested that they all head over to the Pokemon Center. Delia agreed to come too.

Back at the Pokemon Nurse Joy and the gang were asleep for the night. Ash was still holding onto Larvitar while he was asleep and he was dreaming. He was dreaming that he was in Larvitar's egg and he was experiencing some bad things. Ash drifted down a river, got kicked around by everyone's feet and was about to be run over by a truck. When Ash woke up from the bad dream, it was morning. Larvitar was trembling in Ash's arms.

"Larvitar, you were having a nightmare and somehow I was sharing it with you." He said.

Prof. Elm, Prof. Oak and Delia arrived at the Pokemon Center. Ash and Tomo were surprised to see their mom as well as the two professors. Nurse Joy told the professors about Larvitar's condition.

"I've done everything I could, but nothing has helped Larvitar much." She said.

"Okay you leave this to me and Prof. Oak." Prof. Elm said.

"Yes, we'll make Larvitar feel better again." Prof. Oak said.

While Prof. Oak and Prof. Elm tended to Larvitar, Delia went to the Pokemon Center's kitchen to make breakfast for everyone. Thanks to Prof. Elm and Prof. Oak, Larvitar was feeling well again. But Prof. Elm told everyone that Larvitar wasn't responding to anything, like it's mind was all shaken and scared. Ash told everyone about the dream he had with Larvitar about what had happened when Larvitar was still in the egg.

"If Larvitar did experience something that bad, that would explain the reason for it's lack of response." Prof. Elm said.

Delia then told everyone breakfast was ready. Everyone left the emergency room to let Larvitar sleep and have their breakfast.

While eating breakfast Ash got a idea. He thought if he took Larvitar outside for a bit, he could show Larvitar that it doesn't need to be afraid of the world. Prof. Elm thought Ash's idea would help Larvitar so he agreed to let Ash take Larvitar outside. When breakfast was finished Ash, Tomo and Growlithe went outside with Larvitar. Ash and Tomo showed Larvitar a green field, the ocean, the sky and some wild Jumpluff that were flying around the area.

"Larvitar, I know you experience some very scary things while you were in the egg." Ash said. "But you don't need to be scared of this world. There are a lot of great things in this world which you don't need to be afraid of."

"That's right." Tomo added. "We are all happy in this world and you can be too Larvitar."

Larvitar just stared, like it was a mindless soul.

Suddenly there was trouble. It was Jessie, James and Meowth. They were after Ash and Tomo's Pokemon again and they wanted to take Larvitar as well.

"You're not taking our Pokemon!" Ash said.

Flaaffy and Growlithe got ready to fight and Ash held Larvitar tightly in his arms to protect it. Jessie and James had Arbok and Weezing attack Flaaffy and Growlithe.

Then the wild Jumpluff swooped in to help fight Team Rocket but Arbok headbutted the Jumpluff to get them out of the way. Larvitar noticed the trouble and it began to remember that it was tackled a lot while in the egg. Larvitar began to cry really loud and it was using Screech.

"It's all right Larvitar." Ash said, trying to calm Larvitar down. "Tomo and I will protect you."

Larvitar stared at Ash and remembered him taking care of him last night. Then Larvitar jumped out of Ash's arms and used Hidden Power to defeat Arbok and Weezing and sent Team Rocket blasting off again.

Prof. Elm, Prof. Oak, Brock and Misty saw everything.

"Wow, Larvitar sure seems strong even though it only hatched yesterday." Misty said.

"Imagine what it will be like when it's been trained." Brock said.

Ash picked Larvitar up.

"You were great Larvitar." He said. "And there's no doubt that you will become a great Pokemon."

"I agree." Tomo smiled.

The wild Jumpluff were happily flying around to thank the Larvitar for helping them. Larvitar started to smile for the first time all day. Prof. Elm, Prof. Oak, Brock and Misty came up to Ash and Tomo.

"It seems that Larvitar has started to open up to things." Prof. Elm said.

Misty walked over to see Larvitar, but when Larvitar saw Misty he stiffed up.

"Oh dear." Prof. Elm said. "I fear that it's going to take a while for Larvitar to really open up to this world."

Later that day, Prof. Elm gave the gang a ride to New Bark Town. Ash signed up to participate in the Johto League Silver Conference at the Pokemon Center and Nurse Joy told the gang that the Silver Conference was held at a place called Silver Town at Mt. Silver. So the gang got ready to leave for Mt. Silver. They informed Prof. Elm, Prof. Oak and Delia of their plans and they wished the gang good luck. Prof. Elm asked the gang to take Larvitar to the Pokemon preserve, which was also located near Mt. Silver. Apparently Larvitar only trusted Ash and Tomo at the moment and Larvitar didn't want them to leave, so the gang agreed to take Larvitar to the Pokemon preserve.

So now it was time for the gang to head off to the Johto League and they said goodbye to the Pokemon professors and Delia, then left New Bark Town.