Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, and I know I never will.
Promises to Keep
By Citrus Luver
Prologue: The Beginning
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Year 2017
World: Pokémon Indigo Island/ Kanto
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"Brock! I can't believe you got us lost again!" Dawn groaned. Piplup nodded in agreement. The young penguin Pokémon crossed its little flippers and glared at the young Pokémon doctor-in-training. Both Dawn and Piplup had been looking forward to relaxing at the Pokémon Center and not having to camp out once again. Unfortunately, the sky was getting darker, and the trees weren't thinning. "Don't you live here? How can you possibly be so lost?"
"We aren't lost right Misty?" asked Brock. He turned towards Misty, who was cradling her baby Azurill. The young normal type Pokémon was a gift from Tracey after she left her precious Togetic to guard the Togepi Kingdom in Hoenn. Misty simply blinked unsure how to respond. However, unlike yesterday she could no longer unknowingly throw Brock to the wrath of Dawn. Just yesterday, Dawn had almost unleashed her Mamoswine on the young Pokémon doctor-in-training for once again not leading them to the Pokémon Center.
"No, I'm sure we aren't lost, Dawn. I'm sure Ash knows where we are." Misty glanced up at the other boy in their party. Ash seemed worlds away. The boy was carrying a heavy load, one that he had only shared with Brock and Misty last night. Like all the other selfless and heroic acts Ash had performed in the past. He hadn't admitted what was bothering him or why he was purposely leading him around civilizations. When Misty and Brock finally confronted Ash for unlike Dawn who had never traveled to Kanto, they both had a inking about the path Ash had chosen. He had broken down, claiming he was afraid if he told them they would abandon him. Misty had never seen Ash so sad or frightened. She immediately slapped him across his face demanding why after all these years he still possessed such crazy ideas. She immediately listed off all the crazy and dangerous situations Ash had dragged them through with Brock adding in the rest. Only then did he reveal that something was following them. It was something strange, sinister and not from this world. He said that Pikachu could sense it better. They also agreed not to tell Dawn until they reached Pallet. They didn't want to worry Dawn especially with Pallet so close. There, they could send Dawn home to Sinnoh. "Right Ash?" Misty asked gently. She lightly touched Ash's arm.
The young boy flinched at Misty's touch. He turned his head a little confused and dazed. Dark, black rings encircled the bottom layer of eyes. It seemed as if he hadn't slept in weeks, which in retrospect he probably hadn't. "Yes?"
"You know where we're at, right Ash?" asked Dawn. "Brock seems hopelessly lost."
"Of course," said Ash. He produced a fake smile and even rubbed Pikachu's head, the spot between the electric mouse's ears where it especially adored. Pikachu produced an affectionate 'cha'. Ash was a good actor when he wanted to be.
"See, we aren't lost," said Brock. Brock winked at Ash. He was grateful. Although Brock knew sooner or later if anything happened, there was little their Pokémon could do to protect them since all their Pokémon were tired. They hadn't been to a Pokémon Center in days.
Pikachu's ears bristled. Ash looked down and saw that Pikachu's eyes were suddenly filled with worry. Tiny streaks of electricity came out of Pikachu's cheeks. All the fur on its back seemed to be standing up on end. "Do I really want to know?" Ash wondered. Pikachu continued to spark. The little yellow rodent gritted its teeth. "What is it?" whispered Ash. He lightly stroked Pikachu's fur. He was almost afraid to look around.
"Pii," whispered Pikachu. Ash gritted his teeth. He looked around at the forest. The sky seemed to have darkened quickly. The leaves and branches rattled in the wind. Besides the sound of nature, the sounds of Pokémon and anything else alive in the forest seemed to have ceased.
Ash felt a chill run down his spine. His brain was screaming at him to run, but his feet felt like lead.
"Ash?" Misty's voice shook him from his frozen state.
"Run," the only word Ash could form with his mouth. Misty and Brock's eyes widened immediately realizing the horrors around them. Brock grabbed Dawn's arm. He dragged the young, confused girl along. Piplup followed, deeply confused and annoyed. A barrage of 'Pip's left its beak. Thus the four young trainers ran. They plowed through the dense forest. More than once, they had lost their footing and thought that they would fall only from another to steady their footing. Dawn ran half blind from the sweat that had stained into her eyes. She had momentarily stopped to recall Piplup into its Pokéball.
They ran through the dark forest with only Pikachu's sparks for small amounts of light. It felt like hours had passed. Only when he heard the labored breathing from his friends and their insistence that they couldn't run anymore that Ash slowed his pace but refused to stop. The pounding in his head and Pikachu's troubled expression that mirrored his own kept him going.
He stopped suddenly at a crossroad. It was marked by a large oak tree that had split in half from the latest thunder storm. One path looked beaten and abandoned while the other looked well maintained. He immediately recognized both paths. A small, bittersweet smile appeared on his face.
He had traveled on that well maintained road many times on his Pokémon journey. It felt like a lifetime ago since the last time he competed in a Pokémon league. He wondered what Iris and Cilan were doing now. He wondered how Iris's training with Drayden was going. He wondered if Cilan had finally advanced in his goal to become an S class Pokémon Connoisseur. He wondered how May was doing in her Pokémon contests. The last he had heard; she was still in Johto collecting ribbons for the Johto Grand Festival. He thought about Max and how he was going to get his first Pokémon soon. He remembered promising the boy that they battle when he got stronger. The well maintained road always took him home, back to Pallet to his mom, his and Pikachu's hometown, and back to all his Pokémon living with Prof. Oak and Tracey. He used to run down that road and announce his arrival when he reached the top of the hill overlooking Pallet. Pallet was comforting. In his youth he found it boring and couldn't wait to see the world and meet new Pokémon. Now suddenly, he missed his idyllic childhood. He missed fishing, wood boarding down the hills surrounding Pallet and seeing the newest Pokéfilm.
While the other road, the road that looked like it hadn't been traveled in years, Ash knew where that went too. It would take him to his future. That was the road he was going to take. "You guys go left. I'll go right," Ash announced. "We'll meet in Pallet. Tell Mom I'll be back soon." Ash smiled when he thought of his mom. He remembered how excited she had been when he told her he was coming home for a long break. He could almost smell her home cooking. Even now, it felt so simple. All he had to do was go left. He could be home before lunch. His mom and Mr. Mime would be preparing a feast. Prof. Oak would throw him a party. Even Gary would be there, Gary had promised to show him his newest resurrected Pokémon. He wondered what Gary would say when he told him he had played with an Archen and helped it evolve into an Archeops.
"What?" asked Misty. Ash knew Misty wouldn't agree with his plan.
"Go left," Ash repeated again. "You'll be in Pallet before noon if you travel all night. I'll loop around and catch up with you guys. Be there by dinner time." He wondered if he fooled any of them with his lies. Dawn did not seem to notice. She had twisted her ankle and was being supported by Brock.
"No! I'm coming with you Ash," said Misty stubbornly. She cradled her Azurill tightly and pursed her lips.
"We don't have time to argue," snapped Ash. "Dawn is hurt. You got to help Brock. I'll lead it away from you guys."
Misty shook her head and glared at Ash. "Brock and Dawn can go left. I'm coming with you," said Misty in a voice that Ash immediately recognized. It was a tone that Misty frequently used when she was serious and nothing he could say would change it. Ash cursed under his breath. "You'll need help," Misty said softly
"Fine," said Ash. He walked over to Dawn. The girl had tears in her eyes. Ash pitied her, but he knew Brock could take care of her. Brock was going to become a Pokémon doctor. Ash muttered gentle words to Dawn that seemed to brighten the girl up as he helped Brock lean her against tree. She grimaced as Brock bandaged her ankle. Ash then hoisted her onto Brock's back. She seemed lighter than Ash remembered.
"Pallet," Brock muttered. Ash nodded. Brock nodded back, his face hardened as he took the left fork. Both Ash and Misty watched as Brock and Dawn were swallowed by the darkness. Pikachu's small 'cha' awoke the two trainers to their predicament.
"Ready?"
Misty nodded. Her face hardened. Ash gave her a sad look. Both knew what the other dared not say, but both were secretly glad to have the other. Ash grabbed Misty's hand. His hand felt so cool compared to her warm hand. Hand in hand they ran down the path. They only stopped occasionally to drink water. It would be hours later when what would normally be sunrise that Ash said they could rest. He told Misty that Pikachu seemed to have calmed down, which Misty took to mean that they had managed to put enough distance between them and 'it'.
Ash gave both Pikachu and Azurill each a generous bowl of Pokémon food before pulling out two premade sandwiches. Misty accepted hers generously. It was cold despite being summer. She could even see her breath. It would be autumn soon. The leaves would turn color. She remembered her first autumn with Ash. It seemed like a life time ago that she had danced in a yukata with Ash at the summer end festival at Maiden's Peak.
"It's almost autumn," Misty said, breaking the silence.
"Yep," Ash said between big bites. After all these years, Ash hadn't really changed his eating habits. Eating always made him happier. "Where has time gone? How many years has it been?"
"Too many."
"Mom thinks I should get a real job," Ash stated nonchalantly.
Misty looked up. "What? But your mom always seemed so proud when you brought her your newest trophy or badges."
"Mom is good at that. She's always been good at that," Ash spoke forlornly. He rubbed the side of his cheek. "But I'm not ten anymore. She stopped coming to see my league matches a long time ago. She was hoping I would be like Gary and get a real job."
"No, we aren't ten anymore," Misty muttered sadly. She stared at her sandwich. She had always thought of Delia as a loving and supportive mother. She wondered if Delia was a major contributor to Ash not immediately leaving for another league after Unova. In a way she felt thankful. She could still remember that night when Ash called her. Ash rarely called her in the last few years. Ash was never good at keeping in contact with old friends, but Misty understood. It would take days for them to get between towns or cities with telephone access, and normally when they did arrive to civilization someone always seemed to need their help whether it was a Pokémon or a human. By the time they finished helping the 'trainer of the day', it was nightfall and all they had time left to do was eat and sleep. She had started to believe that Ash had forgotten about her until that night. He told her he was taking a break and wanted to focus on training his Pokémon before leaving for the next league. He wanted to travel around Kanto and was wondering if she wanted to travel together again. Her sisters were getting better at battling. It would only be a few weeks Ash had promised, yet somehow the weeks had turned into months.
"You think we'll see Dawn and Brock again?"
"Of course, you'll see them again." Ash smiled. The words only made Misty feel colder. She watched Ash sitting there engulfing his sandwich. He watched Pikachu eat his Pokémon food. She wondered how long Ash would let her stay around. She knew at some point Ash would play the hero. She wondered if at that point he would give in as easily as he had earlier.
"You really do know these woods."
"Yep." Ash grinned. "I used to explore these woods all the time when I was little. Gary and I used spend hours watching and playing with the Pokémon. We knew these woods better than the back of our hands."
"Gary?" Misty looked puzzled.
"Yep, Gary and I used to be friends. Then one summer he went to the city, and everything changed," Ash said sadly. He immediately brightened up again. "But now the old Gary is back. He said he's coming back to Pallet to visit. I never thought Gary would become a Pokémon researcher. I always thought we would compete against each other in the Championship Tournament."
"Prof. Oak must be thrilled."
Ash nodded. Suddenly his eyes darkened. "Misty."
"Ash, no… don't! Stop it!" Tears seemed to flow from her eyes before she could stop them. Ash looked startled.
"Let's get some sleep. There's at least a day's worth of space between us."
Misty quickly wiped her tears. She hadn't cried in so long, not since the day she and Ash had parted so many years ago. "Where?"
"We'll sleep in a tree."
"A tree?"
"Yep, I had a friend in Unova who used to sleep in trees all the time. She was even wilder than me. She reminded me a lot of you though."
"She?"
Ash grinned. "Jealous?"
Misty growled. She playfully slapped Ash on the arm. "No!" Pikachu smirked. Ash playfully whimpered.
Both Pikachu and Azurill had little problems scaling the tree. Pikachu was used to climbing trees, and all Azurill had to do was bounce of its little ball. Misty had a much harder time. It took the combined effort of Snivy's vine whip and Ash pushing from behind to get Misty up the tree. Both trainers were sore and exhausted from the endeavor. "I forgot you don't climb trees Misty."
Misty glared at Ash. With Pikachu's help, Ash found them each a comfortable branch with a nice leaf patch for a pillow. Misty found it surprisingly comfortable and instantly remembered how sleepy she was. Only when a strong chill blew through the air, did she remember their predicament. All signs of sleep vanished from her thoughts. She glanced over at Ash and found that he too wasn't asleep. He was lightly stroking Pikachu's fur. The two seemed to be talking in hushed tones. For once Ash didn't seem on edge. It was as the old Ash had suddenly emerged. She felt her heart squeeze a little. "Ash?" Misty called out hesitantly.
Ash looked up. Pikachu's ear perked up. "What's wrong Misty?"
"I…" Immediately Misty changed her mind. It wasn't the time or the place. "What happened to Team Rocket?"
"Team Rocket?" Ash furrowed his brow, a little confused.
"You know, Jessie, James and Meowth, the three clowns that wanted your Pikachu?"
"Oh them. I don't know. Maybe they're still in Unova. They stopped trying to catch Pikachu all of a sudden and got a personality change. It was really strange."
"One would think after all these years they would have given up long ago or still keep trying."
"Yeah, well at least they finally did. Funny thing is. I bet had they actually succeeded. I really don't think their boss would have actually wanted a Pikachu." Pikachu grumbled; tiny sparks appeared from its electric sacks. Ash laughed.
"Ash."
"Hmm."
"The view is nice up here. You can see the stars." Misty noticed the small twinkling balls of light. They rarely saw stars lately. The sky was always so hazy.
"Yep, I used to climb these trees a lot when I was younger."
"With Gary?"
"Nah," Ash suddenly seemed sad. "With my dad."
"Your dad?" Ash never spoke of his dad. Misty had always wondered what happened to Ash's dad. She never saw any pictures of him in his house when she visited.
"He told me no matter what happens the stars are always there. He said that if I looked up in the sky; he'd be there with all the other Pokémon Masters of the past. I used to climb onto the roof of my house and look at the stars for hours and tried to find my dad's star. It scared my mom a lot. She always said I would fall off and break an arm or something."
Misty giggled. "That sounds like your mom."
"Yeah, mom was always worried."
"Moms are supposed to worry," Misty pointed out. She wondered how many times she had caused her own mother to worry.
"I used to dream of being up there someday with him in the stars with all the other famous Pokémon Masters." Ash sighed. He continued to rub Pikachu behind its ears. The Pokémon looked up at its trainer. Its face mirrored Ash's.
"And you will. You're a really good trainer," said Misty.
"You're just saying that. The Unova league showed me there's still a lot I don't know. Did you know in the Sinnoh League there was a Pokémon trainer that beat everyone with his Darkai?"
"That doesn't sound fair." Misty blinked. She forgot Ash had challenged so many leagues after they parted. She didn't have time to watch the Sinnoh League. She only caught the highlights after all the matches were over. She remembered that Ash had done really well. As for the Unova League they said something happened during the tournament, so it was never broadcasted. When she first asked him how he had done, Ash had gone strangely quiet. He rarely talked about the Unova League or Iris and Cilan. She looked up at the sky. She wondered if there really were Pokémon masters watching them from the stars. It sounded more comforting than big balls of fire. "Ash?"
"Hmm."
"Which one is your dad's star?"
Ash shifted his weight. "Hmm," he pointed to a shiny blob that was directly over them. "See that group of stars? It forms a thunderbolt."
Misty blinked. She tried rotating the stars. Finally she gasped, startled at the image. "It really does look like a thunderbolt."
"Well, dad is the last star at the end."
"There's room for another star too."
Ash chuckled. "There's room for two more. You're closer to becoming a Water Pokémon master than me." Misty laughed. She had forgotten that childhood dream of hers over the years. Lately, she just wanted to improve her family gym. Her sisters had ruined the gym's reputation, and it had taken a lot longer than she had planned before she managed to improve the gym's quality. "I've heard the Cerulean gym is no longer an easy gym for rookies."
"Hey, you only got the badge because my sisters felt sorry for you!"
Ash laughed. His early training days weren't filled with fond memories. His first league tournament still left a bitter after taste in his mouth. He always tried to not think about what would have happened had Team Rocket had not kidnapped him that day, or if Charmander had never evolved. He held his hand up defensively as Misty took a swing at him. Ash peeked over his hands after Misty stopped swinging. She still looked like she was fuming.
"Pikapi." Pikachu looked at his trainer sadly. Ash's playful nature immediately disappeared. He sighed. It was hard. Nothing was easy.
"Misty, tomorrow we got to separate."
"Ash."
Ash raised his hand. Pikachu had climbed onto its trainer's shoulders. Its ears were perked up; its tail was straight as an arrow.
"You're my best friend Mist. We both know; it only wants me. Hell, it was my arrogance that got us into this mess. We got to separate, with you willing or not." Ash's face hardened. Misty hadn't noticed that the boy was holding two Pokéballs. She wondered which Pokémon were in them.
"No!" Misty drew out a Pokéball.
Ash looked at her sadly. Faster than Misty had time to realize, Ash's Bulbasaur was casting sleep powder on her. She wondered when Ash had retrieved Bulbasaur from Prof Oak. She felt herself falling and Ash's strong arms cradling her. Her vision grew hazy. Ash seemed sad. Pikachu seemed more upset. "No," she muttered. Her eyes grew heavier.
"I'll come back when it's safe again." The words seemed so distant.
"Promise?" Misty shrugged with the words. The sleep powder was strong. She found herself being dragged into the world of sleep. Whether it was in her dreams or in reality, she thought she heard Ash mutter the words 'I promise'.
TBC
A/N: Some of you may recognize that this prologue shares the same idea as another fic I wrote and published here years ago under the title A Sign of the Thunderbolt. If so, you would be correct. I have decided to revive that fic. However, instead of finishing and editing it since it had too many loopholes and is poorly written, I have to just completely rewrite it. Also I have decided to upgrade to include what has happened in the Pokémon world these last eight years. The two fics share the same basic idea, but they will be different. You'll see what I mean.
Please review!