A Journey's Link

Chapter 4 - Pathway

"Smell that ocean air! And feel that breeze, so nice!" exclaimed Ash. Pikachu, perched upon Ash's shoulders, sniffed the air, his small nose wiggling around curiously. "Pika!" Ash had been the first one off the airplane, desperately wanting to escape from the crowded mess that ensued from landing.

Goh and Frank followed behind, with Espie perched on Frank's shoulder, similar to how Pikachu sat on Ash's. Frank scanned the city, seeing movements of people performing everyday activities and enjoying the sights the city had to offer. He softly smiled, reminding himself of the beauty of his hometown and the fact that it had been too long since he had been here.

Goh pulled out his Rotom phone to find the location of the Moomoo Farm, but Frank pushed it down. "I know a shortcut that'll get us there much quicker," he said with a gleam in his eyes. Ash and Goh both looked at each other, skeptical, but knew that they could put their trust in the owner of the farm. Frank spoke to them about this path as he guided them through the city and into a forest area.

"The path that we are about to take is... unique," said Frank. "You might see some Pokemon that exhibit odd behaviors." Frank led the two Research Fellows to a wooded area, with the beginnings of what looked like a path. Ash looked around, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. "What's so crazy about this path?"

Frank put up a finger as Ash spoke. "The Pokemon that inhabit these woods rely on our Moomoo Milk for nutrition and have done so even before Amelia took over as caretaker of the Moomoo Farm. That's why we call it the Moomoo Path." Goh looked down the beaten path and raised an eyebrow.

"That's a cool name, but what's so special about it?" He asked in an unconvinced manner. "Surely the Pokemon here are different?" Frank smiled and chuckled softly. "Right, the Pokemon. To put it simply, the Pokemon here grow way bigger than normal, sometimes up to ten times larger!" He stated eagerly.

Ash and Goh both looked at Frank with shock, but for different reasons. Ash was shocked in an excited and optimistic way, as he was always happy to see rare and unusual Pokemon. Goh, however, was doubtful of the claim and instantly questioned Frank.

"How is that possible? There's no way the food a Pokemon eats changes their appearances that much!" Goh frantically said. "Just trust me," Frank sighed, walking towards the path. "Just come on so we can get to the farm quicker." Ash and Goh followed close behind; Goh was still focused on the large Pokemon.

"Until I see it for myself, I have no reason to believe it!" As he said this, a Spinarak slowly came down from above using its web. Goh stopped and saw the smiling face pattern on its back. "What Pokemon is that?" He asked, staring at the intricate design on its skin. "Um, Goh, that's..." Ash began, unable to finish his sentence.

Goh looked at Ash in confusion and took a step back. He slowly saw the entire Pokemon's body covering the path and make a quick realization. "That's a Spinarak! And it's giant!!!" Goh screamed. "I've never seen a Spinarak bigger than my leg, and this one is the size of a skyscraper!"

Goh was correct, even if he was overreacting to the situation. This Spinarak was bigger than its own evolution, which was usually around 3 feet in length. "That's a Spinarak..." Ash finished his sentence quietly, awed by the sight of the great big spider Pokemon. "Goh, you should catch it! Quickly!" He suddenly exclaimed, poking Goh on the shoulder.

"Oh, right!" Goh replied, breaking away from his trance. Sending out his Raboot, Goh commanded his first move. "Raboot, use Ember!" Raboot acknowledged with a small "Ra!" and grabbed the rock that he used for his Ember move.

He tossed the rock into the air and kicked it with his fiery feet, causing it to become an Ember fireball. The Spinarak responded with a String Shot, which was incinerated by the Ember and made contact with the target. Spinarak was knocked back and fell from its string, slowly trying to bring itself up from the hit.