Nemesis
By Trish.
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Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I do own this story.
Rating: PG-13 for death and other issues.
A/N: Nemesis is the Greek Goddess of retribution or an avenging angel. This is my take on Ash's dad, this is fanfiction, so deal with it.
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Team Rocket Headquarters, outside ViridianCity, June 1996.
The moon shone bright in a cloudless night sky, bathing the massive courtyard in a silvery glow. A perfect night for an execution, thought Giovanni Castoni, as he stood in the centre, waiting for the condemned prisoner to be hauled before him.
Two burly Team Rocket agents, Giovanni's own personal bodyguards, appeared; dragging a battered and bloodied man in rags between them. The Team Rocket boss smiled thinly, obviously his orders that the man be introduced to the 'pleasures' of his torture chamber had been followed to the letter. Any traitors and enemies of the Team Rocket cause, could expect no less than the very worst treatment he could offer.
And what a coup it was to have caught and unmasked one of Viridian City's top undercover police officers, Neil Ketchum, planted in an attempt to stop Team Rocket's latest operation. Giovanni had his scientists conducting medical experiments on captive Pokémon, with the aim of developing deadly potions to be used on those people that the organisation deemed 'undesirable' or a 'risk' to their plans for global domination.
It was far too risky and far too expensive to experiment on humans, so they used Pokémon, which were in plentiful supply. No one would miss one less Pokémon in the world. Cages of the creatures, which had been caught in the wild or stolen, lined the perimeter of the courtyard.
The Team Rocket boss turned his thoughts back to the prisoner before him. Ketchum, the man behind so many of Team Rocket's previous operations being shut down and agents arrested. A cold smile spread slowly over Giovanni's features. He would make an example of this man, as a warning to the police to stay away from the criminal organisation.
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The Pokémon were restless in their cages. They knew that something bad was about to happen. Word had spread among the captives that there was one human in there that was good and kind, he was there to help them. Now, it was obvious that this man was to die for it. The creatures whimpered and snuffled in distress. They prayed to their guardians to help this man and his family, if anything could be done for him now.
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Neil Ketchum risked a glance at all the cages. I'm sorry, he told them silently. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. One of Viridian's finest police officers, he had been selected for this assignment by the police commissioner himself. The most dangerous assignment he had ever undertaken, and it would be his last.
He had been horrified by what he had witnessed during the months he had been undercover. The torture and killing of a baby Kangaskhan in front of its captive mother. The killing of a mother Marowak who was defending her baby in Lavender Town. All this had sickened him to the core and made him even more determined to bring about the end of this cruel organisation.
He had a premonition of his betrayal a few weeks ago, so he had gathered all the evidence and information that he had amassed and stored it in a safe place so that the operation would not die with him. Included in the pile of paperwork was the name of the man in the police force who had betrayed him.
There had been rumours for months that there was a turncoat within the force, who was tipping off Team Rocket with details of various police operations against them. He now knew who it was. A pity he wouldn't live to see the guy get his comeuppance. How many good officers and ex-Team Rocket whistleblowers had lost their lives because of this one man. Hopefully, Neil's inclusion of the name and an incriminating tape would be able to bust the guy. The dead could still have their revenge.
His thoughts turned to his young family, safely in Pallet Town. His beautiful wife, Delia, who was pregnant with their second child, and their four-year-old son, Ash. He remembered the words of a fortune teller on the future of their firstborn. "He is destined to become the greatest Pokémon Master the world has ever seen. He will be the downfall of criminal organisations who use Pokémon for evil. He has the protection of the Powers that Be. He is the Chosen One of legend."
He hadn't told Delia the exact nature of this assignment. This was for her own protection, he was under no illusions that Giovanni would have no qualms sending out thugs to target his family. As far as Delia knew, he was just on some routine undercover assignment. At least I know that she and the kids will be well provided for. He had made provisions to provide for his family in the last few weeks and he had secured the promise of Professor Oak (a good friend of his father's) that he would keep an eye on his family should he not return.
"Any last words?" Giovanni smirked as a Team Rocket henchman pulled out a long butcher's knife.
Neil glared at the man as he was forced to his knees. "This doesn't end here, Giovanni. Mark my words, there will come another with far greater powers than you or I. And I vow that my soul shall not rest until vengeance has been sought for all those people and Pokémon you have killed."
"Enough!" the Team Rocket boss barked. "Kill him."
A Team Rocket thug grabbed a handful of Mr Ketchum's hair and jerked his head back roughly as the cool metal of the knife was placed against his exposed neck.
His last thoughts were of his wife and child as his throat was slit open, and the Team Rocket thugs dropped him to the ground and started kicking him. The caged Pokémon cried out in anguish to the heavens. The heavens heard their cries, and as Neil Ketchum's life ebbed away, no one saw his watch glow brightly blue before fading out.
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PalletTown, two days later
Delia was chatting with her sister and brother in the lounge room of her cheerful weatherboard home when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Brendan jumped up quickly before his older sister could move. "You need to rest that 6 month tummy of yours."
Delia smiled and smoothed down the material of her dress over the bulge of her stomach. She was looking forward to the day when Neil came back from his assignment and they could start preparing for the birth of the baby. She smiled to herself, in three months little Ash would have a brother or sister to play with.
"Excuse me, Del?" She was interrupted in her reverie by her brother entering the room with two police officers in tow, their caps in their hands. Her eyes widened as she recognised the Viridian City police commissioner.
"Mrs Ketchum?" the police commissioner came up to her.
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Ash was playing in the garden with Scruffy, the family pet Growlithe, when he heard a heartbroken wail echo through the house. Dropping the ball, he ran into the house as fast as his little legs would carry him, Scruffy at his heels.
Bursting into the living room, his eyes widened as he saw his mother crumpled against his aunt, crying as if her heart would break. "Mommy?!"
"Ash!" Uncle Brendan came over and knelt down beside him, wrapping the small boy in his arms.
"What's wrong with Mommy? Why is she crying?" Ash was starting to get distressed. He had never seen his mother cry like this before. And Aunty Tasha's and Uncle Brendan's eyes were red rimmed as well.
Brendan drew back a bit and looked his nephew in the eyes. He took a deep breath as he struggled to find the right words to say. What do you say to a child whose beloved father has been found murdered? "Ash…your mommy's crying because…she's heard some sad news about your daddy."
"What about Daddy?" Ash's big brown eyes started to glisten with tears. Scruffy whimpered and nuzzled against him.
"Ash…I'm sorry…but your daddy's not…going to be coming home."
"N..n..ever?" A trembling lower lip.
"I'm sorry, Ash." Brendan swept his nephew into his arms and rocked him gently as the floodgate of tears opened.
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It was a month after Neil's death before Delia could bring herself to go through her husband's belongings. In fact the doctor had advised her against attempting to do it any earlier.
For in addition to losing her husband, her soul mate, Delia had lost the baby. The trauma caused by the news of Neil's death had brought on contractions and she went into premature labour. The baby girl had lived only a few hours.
She had hung onto Ash for dear life at the double funeral. He was all she had left, surely Fate would not be so cruel as to take him as well.
The young widow sighed as she sat down on the bed. His clothes would be given to charity, as would his books and cds. She would keep his police badge and awards, as mementos of his life. Delia opened a medium sized box to reveal a gold watch. Neil had been given that watch on his eighteenth birthday and it was one of his favourite possessions.
Delia gave a teary smile as she closed the box and placed it aside for safekeeping. She would give it to Ash on his eighteenth birthday, a perfect memento to remember his father by.
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The spirit of Neil Ketchum sighed as he watched his wife go through his possessions. The Powers that be had granted his dying wish and had tied his soul to his watch and the fortunes of his son. However he would not be able to materialise in a form visible to human eyes until his son had achieved his destiny. Even the spirit world had rules to follow, it seemed.
But Pokémon could sense and see him. Scruffy had recognised him instantly, though he was puzzled as to why he couldn't jump on him for a scratch. The Pokémon was sitting quietly beside him, whimpering in sympathy to his master's distress.
Neil knelt down beside the faithful Growlithe. "14 years to wait…Giovanni is going to get a real shock when it comes." He patted the dog on the head. "Look after them for me will you?"
To be continued…
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Author's Note: I'm back! After a six month or more hiatus imposed by work. I survived a federal election and my job survived. Now I can relax, unwind from the constant stress and start writing again. This is what you get.
Now it is not set in stone who Ash's dad is or what he does. Nor do I believe that Giovanni or ProfessorOak is his dad. He looks nothing like Giovanni and ProfessorOak is old enough to be his grandfather.
I don't believe anything has been written like this. If there is, I apologise but this is my twist.