Chapter 9: Unown Future
May tried to bring Ash back, but he just stood there, as if nothing was inside of him, just an empty shell. May ran back to the camp and told the others, as Oak ran to Ash to check him out. Despite his efforts, there was little Oak could do, as he layed Ash down, and closed his eyes, believing that Ash simply gave up due to everything that happened. Oak heard grunts out in the forest, as he quickly ran to the others and told them to run.
- But Professor Oak, what about Ash, there has to be something we can do… whatever happened… there has to be a way to bring him back… we can´t just… I can´t leave him… not now… not like this!
- I´m sorry young dear… I don´t know what happened… he may be in some form of stasis… comatose… or even…. Just simple gone. Whatever the reasons, we can´t stay, we cannot afford to get caught!
- I agree. I´ll fly on my Dragonite in order to try to lure them await from you guys. I suggest you try to reach the nearest city and try to contact the police, and when able, get to the new mobile HQ as quickly as possible. Don´t worry about me, my Dragonite still retains some strength to battle, and if necessary then I´ll have no choice but to deal out some punches myself. Now run, don´t look back and head straight forward!
Everyone nodded, grabbed their things and ran, as Dragonite took flight, only to immediately get spotted by enemy Skarmory. Fixed on their prey, the Skarmory then tried to force Dragonite down, but despite their attacks it continued to fly outward. Relieved that they took the bait, Lance continued, as the grunts on the ground searched every inch in an effort to find the others. Jessie, along with Jenny from Pallet Town, led the search, when some grunts then called in and reported that they have found Ash, but didn´t know his condition. Trying to reach Giovanni, Jesse couldn´t get to him, so she followed standard procedure. She ordered them to apprehend him and return to HQ, while she and the rest searched for the others. They acknowledged, as they called down one of the Skarmory onto the ground, as they then strapped Ash onto it, as it took flight.
Already in the outskirts of the forest, Oak and the others now had the difficult task in climbing down the mountain while still maintaining an head-start of the grunts. Oak then called out his Dragonite and told it to keep the grunts away in case they catch up. Still devastated about Misty´s death and now possibly Ash´s, May didn´t watch her step, as she then lost her grip and tumbled down the mountain wall. Max screamed out for her.
Saddened by what she just overheard, Delia then went to Giovanni, as she then stood next to him. She asked if Ash could ´´hear´´ her, and as Giovanni slowly nodded, Delia tried to hold back the tears and talk to Ash.
- Ash, dear… it´s Mom… I´m here darling…please Ash, don´t do that… don´t add more burdens to the weights on your shoulders… I know you´re in pain… I can´t imagine how much you must be hurting, but please darling… please stop it… I can´t remain sane and fight if you´re like this… it kills me to know that you´re suffering… even Giova… even your father feels your torment… and he deeply regrets what he has done.
Trying to further communicate, Delia then noticed that Giovanni also got into the same state as Ash, as he fell towards the floor, but was caught in mid-air by Delia, which slowly put him down and tried to wake him up. After several attempts, she then went to the monitor room and found an emergency channel, as she called out for help and explained what happened. It didn´t take long before several hidden elevators came out of the walls, as both grunts and doctors, among them Professor Namba and Sebastian, as they asked Delia to step aside and let them check out what was wrong. She stepped back, when suddenly Pikachu sinisterly approached her, believing that she harmed Giovanni. It let out a violent screech and was about attack her with immense Thunderbolt, lethal to human standards, when she cowered in fear into a corner, afraid that she might never see Ash and Giovanni again. She whispered to Pikachu to spare her, when she noticed something in it´s eyes. Pikachu was beginning to fight itself free.
- Sir, this is Dr Sebastian. Our medical staff are taking care of you, and we have already taken a sample of your blood to let Dr Namba analyse it. Meantime, we follow standard procedure as well as your specific requests in case something would happen to you. It´s clear that Jessie will take command, but me as well as Dr Yung and Professor Namba will guide her since she is under our influence after all.
- HQ, this is Jessie. What the hell is going on, I´ve been trying to contact the boss for several minutes, I have some crucial information regarding the fugitives as well as the Ketchum kid. Our Skarmory are pursuing the dragon trainer, and I suspect that he´s just a diversion, but if true then we´d have to scour in all directions, since all we have found are remains of a temporary camp. Now report at once!
- Jessie, this is Dr Yung. We just got an alarm from Delia Ketchum, and our men rushed right into the room just in case. Dr Sebastian is on location and Dr Namba is in the lab. Apparently something happened to Giovanni, and for now we´re doing everything possible to evaluate the situation. I honestly doubt she would do such harm to her own husband, but just to be sure we´re taking her in for a simple interrogation, and are of course thinking of Giovanni´s wishing in such a matter. As of now, you are acting leader of Team Rocket, but it is for safety reasons that we four share the rule over the organisation.
- Fair enough, now is not the time to battle for power. Our men found the Ketchum kid, but apparently they couldn´t exactly specify his condition… he seems to be in a similar state as the gymleader girl was. They describe him as having a lifeless gaze, stiff body, zero response to external influence. They put him on a Scarmory, which should arrive shortly on landing pad 10. Go check him out immediately!
Overhearing the conversation through Giovanni´s radio which she took before everyone came in, Delia ran off and entered an elevator, as she pushed the button for level 10. Not prepared for her escape, Dr Sebastian ordered grunts as well as Pikachu to head to the landing pad, as well as go after Delia and apprehend her. They nodded, but as they looked for Pikachu it was long gone. It went after Delia.
Wanting to silence Max´s outcry, Brock, couldn´t risk losing his grip, so he quickly grabbed him and tried to descend as fast as possible, as Dragonite saw the grunts approaching. Oak nodded, as Dragonite went to battle the grunts and their Pokemon. Reaching the ground, Brock pushed Max away in case May had suffered severe back injuries, as he slowly leaned over her to check her out. She was in great pain, but could barely speak due to the near fatal injuries she suffered. Brock called out Steelix, and told it to flatten out a part of its body, as Brock was about to carefully move her onto Steelix´s body.
- May, no! You can´t do this to me sis! Don´t leave me alone, I need you! Please hang on, we´ll surrender and ask for help, there´s no way I´m gonna lose you like the rest! Fight, you got to make it!
Feeling that it had no other choice, Jirachi leaped out from Max´s backpack and went to May, as it used Healing Wish on her. May slowly rejuvenated her wounds, and was no longer in pain, as Jirachi got into a coma-like state to regain the energy it used. Max jumped into May´s arms, crying happily that she was alright, when suddenly Oak reached the ground and told them to run, as the grunts now were climbing down the mountain wall as well, ready to strike when necessary. Max grabbed Jirachi, as Brock told Steelix to use Rock Throw onto the grunts, forcing them to take another route or risk falling to their death. Brock remained, as Oak followed May and Max through a marked path. Skarmory in the air had defeated Lance and Oak´s Dragonite, as they carried Lance aswell as both Dragonite to HQ.
Ash opened his eyes, as he found himself floating around in the pool area again. Not sure what had happened, Ash tried and called out for the Unown, as they approached him. Ash asked them why he had been called. Suddenly someone was seen among them, as Ash couldn´t believe it. The Unown then disappeared, as the pool then took a drastic change and turned into a wealthy house in Pallet Town. Ash didn´t first understand why, but quickly understood that he did not relive any of his own memories in Pallet Town, that it must have been someone else´s memory the Unown were processing through.
He watched in awe, as the house looked very familiar. Ash then noticed that it looked like the abandoned house further out of Pallet, as he saw Delia, a young woman with a bright passion for cooking and gardening. She prepared for a normal day at work, as she headed to Pallet Town´s most famous restaurant at the time, Divine Flavour. Ash then was touched by a hand, as he quickly backed away. It was Giovanni. Unsure if Ash was just an illusion, he touched Ash to see if he was real. Ash was lost for words, as he backed away, trying to restrain himself. Giovanni backed away, not wanting to provoke him.
- Ash… I´m… I´m so sorry. I don´t know if the Unown are affecting me right now, but if they do, then they have resurrected my old self from my empty shell of the man I once was. I´m here for you boy.
- Just… just save it. You´re… my father, and I´ll deal with it later eventually. But right now my friends need me, and I need to be there for them. You may have kept me away from Misty… and although I´ll never be able to forgive myself for that…. I will do everything in my power to make sure that it will never happen again. As soon as the Unown release the two of us… I will fight you no matter what.
- I know most of my actions have been wrong… but my intentions are good, but the world doesn´t always share my vision. As for the two of us… at first I wanted to fight you… to see how much of the properties and characteristics you have taken from your old man… but now… I don´t. The Unown connected me to you, and I felt your pain. I almost felt the same when I left your mother. You´re not the only one to have suffered: I hope the Unown haven´t shared my pain with you, as the last thing I ever wanted was to harm you, especially like this. I´d give me life to bring her back to you Ash, I truly would.
Not sure if he should even listen to what Giovanni had to say, Ash tried to leave it alone, as he continued to watch the memory. Delia had already arrived and began to cook in the kitchen, as she worked long and hard, but despite it all showed that she loved her job. Suddenly the main chef came in, as he told her that they´re understaffed and that she is needed to clean some of the tables. Doing as she is always asked of, she changed clothes and went to several tables to clean up, when she got to a special VIP table where an elegant glass of champagne was untouched. Having a habit of not letting things go to waste, she looked around and drank up the content when nobody was looking, when she suddenly coughed up something. She took it out and couldn´t believe what it was. An very exclusive and rare diamond ring.
- Your mother has always been such a gentle and lovely soul, even when coughing up a diamond ring that her friends told me she adored… she thought a customer forgot it in the drink… and she even went straight to me to hand it over. For months had we seen each other and enjoyed every moment we were together, but when I found out that she was a simple and poor woman like most in her neighbourhood, I did not have the heart to tell her that I was from the wealthy Mortegio family. I knew that she didn´t know, and that way I was sure that it was true love that we felt. Your mother and I… we were happy.
Feeling some of his feelings, Ash understood that the Unown tried to project Giovanni´s emotions onto him, as Ash felt that what he spoke was true and from the heart. Ash got closer, as they both continued to watch, as Delia insisted that Giovanni should be the one to return the ring personally. Giovanni then wanted to make a little joke and told her to come with him to the storage room, and as they closed the doors after themselves he put the ring onto her hand, as she told him that she would never demand such a priceless jewel from him, when he suddenly whispered something in her ear. She screamed so loud that her colleagues thought she rejected his marriage proposal, but instead they opened the doors and found her kissing him enough to make him gasp for air. Ash began to feel a connection to Giovanni.
- Despite my past, my conquests and all my money and power… that day was the best day of my life. I felt like I had a purpose, a goal in life. That goal was to stay with your mother and make her happy. We remained in Pallet Town, and at the time Professor Oak´s father, Julian Oak, a worldwide-known artist and Pokemon breeder, held our wedding in his house and art gallery. Julian´s art partner, Maxwell Sketchit, spread the news and invited almost the entire world to witness when we pledged our love to each other. Such good people doing so much for me and her, not knowing that my family were the ones responsible for the world´s troubles. Much has changed since then. I won´t deny nor cast aside my family honour, past and heritage… but I want you to know that I´m not just a villain… I´m a proud father.
Ash, beginning to understand most of what Giovanni had told him, also got some revealing information about Tracey´s origins, as well as the revelation of Sammy Oak, his time-travelling friend. Suddenly the memory faded away, as Ash, thinking about getting closer to Giovanni, was pushed forward by the Unown, as everything then turned into the pool area again. Seeing the light at the edge of the pool again, Ash did not want to go up and relive the horrible event, but he knew that the memory would not end until it is triggered. Ash went towards the light and rose up, as Giovanni went after Ash, as Ash then helped him out. But something was different. Ash somehow felt that something had changed. Suddenly it all began again: Misty running in, calling Professor Oak, and Team Rocket breaking in. Horrified by what she had endured, Giovanni shouted out for Butch and Cassidy to stop, forgetting for a moment that it was all a memory. Suddenly they stopped, and looked around as if they heard him somewhere.
Ash, puzzled that they had reacted to Giovanni´s command, then heard what his mom said previously, as Ash then called out for her. Suddenly he felt that something pulled him in his jeans. It was Togepi. Ash was about to pick it up when he suddenly froze, as he slowly rose up. Misty was standing in front of him. Togepi then went to Misty and stood next to her, as Ash barely could say a word. She was there.
- Hi Ash… it´s me. Not some illusion or trick. No, I´m not alive Ash… I´m sorry, but I felt I needed to do this… I owe you that much. The Unown saved my memories and everything about me in order to replicate me. What I say and tell will come only from me, not them, they´re just helping me out with one of my final wishes: To say goodbye. We both need it to go on… You mostly need it to find peace…
The Skarmory landed onto the landing pad, as Delia ran towards it to get to Ash. The Skarmory was about to attack her when Pikachu then appeared and hissed at it, as it stopped and left her alone. Delia grabbed Ash and put him onto the ground, trying to wake him up, fearing the worst. Pikachu then went toward Ash, as it was clear that it was beginning to turn back into it´s former self. Delia then saw the grunts approached, as she told them to stay back, only to be overpowered and dragged away from Ash´s lifeless body, as Delia begged them to let her go and save Ash. Dr Yung and the grunts then came.
- It appears that he is in the same state as Giovanni! Alright, we´ll have to move him down to the medical bay, only there will we find some answers as well as do the best we can for them. Escort Miss Ketchum to an interrogation room, as Cassidy will question her about what happened. Our main priority is to save Giovanni, but all preliminary procedures will be tested on the boy first to see the results.
- Dr Yung, this is Namba. I have finished checking out Giovanni´s medical status as well as his blood, and so far everything seems to be perfectly fine. I suspect that whatever happen to both of them is either psychological or through an unknown force we haven´t thought of yet. Bring the young boy over to me, and I´ll see what I can do to maybe release them or at least try to communicate with them Report.
- Unknown force? Wait a minute… could this be connected to the mysterious stones that were retrieved from the ancient Unown temple in the desert days ago? Maybe Giovanni knew something we didn´t.
Delia was forced into a room, as James and Meowth were inside as well, apparently captured after the police got defeated, as they were in line to also be interrogated. Delia asked why they were in the room.
- Sorry to disappoint you missy, but we´re not here to save you, we´re in no condition for that. James having memory issues, and me being worn out after all the battling… it was all for nothing.
- So, you two are not pledged to Giovanni? Unfortunately your companion Jessie is quite the opposite: Now that my husband and Ash are in an unknown state, Jessie has taken full control of Team Rocket.
- Meowth can speak for himself…Some things I remember clearly:.. I know that I am a dedicated member of Team Rocket, but my past is still a blurr to me. Can you help me, I can´t stand it anymore!
- I´d be glad to help out Jimmie Boy, but being prisoners even without some food and water kinda ruins the mood. But I´m sure that if we reach that machine, you will be back to normal. As for those guys, I´m sorry to hear that Miss, we did our best but the boss and the others were too strong, we helped the police as much as we could, but now it turns out we might get locked up in the same cage as the cops.
- I´m sure they appreciate your efforts, but right now we need to play our cards right: I had influence over my husband, but now that Jessie is in command I cannot manipulate Team Rocket as easily. We need you James, to get close to her and try to affect her judgment, enough to stir up a dispute about the rule of Team Rocket. That might give us the chance to flee or even get released. Will you do it?
- I don´t know… it´s all a blurr to me… I know that I should serve Team Rocket… yet there is a part of me that knows better… that it´s not always that simple… it feels like I´m losing my mind…