"Dreams of an Absolution"
Chapter 1: Going Home
By: Crichton55
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A/N: Hello again! I have somewhat returned after a long break. My writer's blocks simply won't leave me alone. Nevertheless, I'm back, and I am attempting to rewrite what has already been posted for "Dreams of an Absolution", simply because I found the storyline I was chasing after too difficult to write. Sorry if you liked it thus far, but honestly I hated it so much it wouldn't let me continue. Fortunately, I have preserved the majority of the story, so people who enjoyed the story between Ash and Giovanni need not worry. With the unfolding drama between Delia and Giovanni thus far, I'd like to thank "Cultnirvana" for inspiring the idea. I owe a lot to him/her. I cannot guarantee regular posts, because I am just starting college at a major university, but I will try to post as often as I can.
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May 25th, 2002
The overwhelming noise of thousands of voices still filled his mind. The emotions remained strong; every last detail seemed to bombard him as he leaned over the ship's railing, but the young man couldn't shake the huge grin he sported.
Perched on his shoulder was a small yellow rodent, which was not surprising. Pikachu could always be found there as if he were a lookout. Normally, he stood there with a mix of determination and happiness, but this time he slouched slightly. He was exhausted, and the thought and appeal of a nap did not go forgotten. His eyes drooped as he fought to stay awake.
The young man took notice. He chuckled at his friend's fatigue.
"That battle wore you out that much, huh, Pikachu?" It was a friendly tone he used. Pikachu looked up at him with a weak smile.
"You work me hard, Ash," he said. "Bianca and Iris weren't exactly like dusting crops. Why couldn't you have just used Birdo? He's the only Pokemon you have that's stronger than I am."
"He would've made it too easy," Ash replied, not bothering to hide his residual excitement. "There's no challenge with using a Pokemon like him, though he could've been useful once or twice. Either way, we won."
"And we both get what we want. I get stronger and you get respect as a trainer."
"That is true," Ash agreed. "Though it's really about just having fun."
Pikachu gave a purr of approval. "You've changed too, Ash. When we first started you would have simply agreed with me without that second thought. Being a Pokemon Master doesn't come without that maturity."
Ash reached up and scratched Pikachu behind the ear, to which Pikachu welcomed with a small groan. "You really think I'm a Master, Pikachu?"
Pikachu did not immediately answer. Rather, he leaned into Ash's hand, basking in the pleasure of a good ear scratch. "Certainly not yet," he said finally. "But I admit you're extremely skilled."
"I can't wait to tell Professor Oak about this!"
"Knowing that guy, he probably already knows. Weren't you going to go see Misty first?"
Ash's heart gave a powerful leap. With everything that had happened, Misty hadn't entered his mind in a while. His pulse raced as he imagined her reaction upon seeing him, the strength of her arms around his, the rush of her lips on his...
"Ash?"
"Huh?"
Pikachu let a small and knowing grin creep across his face. Looking away and casting his gaze along the watery horizon, he decided to tease Ash a little. "You are hopeless, Ash."
Ash smiled, admitting defeat. Following Pikachu's eyes out to the ocean, pleasant memories filled him. So much had happened, he could scarcely understand how they had all happened to just him. Seeing Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Lugia, saving the world and being saved by Misty. Every time the thought entered his mind he could not stop a blush from staining his cheeks any more than he could change his grandparent's birthplace. The dance they shared at Maiden's Peak was no less powerful. All things considered, he couldn't shake the feeling that his entire journey through the Orange Islands was meant to push them closer. A piece of the puzzle, of sorts.
His thoughts drifted to his travels through Johto. Looking back, he could see how completely clueless he had been to how he and Misty were developing. At times he had found it difficult to take his eyes off her, and with the way he himself was changing, his hormones changed as well. He could vividly remember the first time Misty had mentioned the need for a bra before taking off down the mall hallway.
Then came the skirmish at Mt. Silver. After that, everything changed.
Ash snapped himself out of his reverie, blushing dark crimson. "Yeah, I guess you're right, Pikachu."
"Of course I'm right. Even Togepi took notice."
"How's she doing anyway?"
Pikachu reached his foot up to his ear and scratched furiously. "You know that kid," he replied. "Happiest little squirt in the world."
"You and Misty raised her well."
"Yeah, we did. What do you plan to do with Misty?"
Ash chuckled. He hadn't given it much thought.
"Not exactly sure, buddy," he said vaguely. "But I think she's going to like it."
"Hail Prince of the obvious,"Pikachu teased, earning a small scratch behind the ear.
Ash gave a hearty sigh and observed the waves as the ship picked up speed. "It'll be nice not having any battles for a while," he said happily.
Two hundred miles east, a similar sense of excitement gripped Professor Oak's lab, and the rest of Ash's stored Pokemon took quick notice. Oak found it easy to keep himself busy, and despite his age, he moved around hastily, preparing his lab for Ash's return. Tracy kept to the sidelines except for when Oak needed him, partly because he found the old man's new-found energy to be something he probably shouldn't get in the way of. Nevertheless, he embraced the change of pace, even if it was very brief, because he saw it as a much needed break from the boring and tedious nature of helping out in the lab.
Professor Oak glanced nervously at the clock on the wall above one of his computers. 12:45 PM. He cursed under his breath. Ash would be in the region within the hour, and the oven still had loads of time left on it. Such a fitting occasion as this warranted everything to be ready before the SS Aqua even entered Kanto waters, but he knew the ship and its speed well.
Before Oak had a chance to swear loudly about his predicament, his pocket began to vibrate, and the familiar sound of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture rang through the lab. He immediately forgot the problem at hand, and groaned slightly because he knew who was calling him. He always used that particular ringtone for any number associated with the Pokemon League.
Diving into his pocket, he retrieved the phone and answered it.
"H-Hello?" he answered tentatively. What on Earth could the League possibly need from him at that precise moment?
"Samuel," replied a familiar voice. "I have an urgent message for you regarding Ash Ketchum."
Professor Oak recoiled.
"Lance?" he sputtered. "Why, what's the matter?"
He heard a soft sigh. "Too secret to discuss over the phone, I'm afraid. I need to speak with you in person." He didn't bother to hide his concern, as it made his request to meet sound more like a demand than a suggestion.
"O-Okay, sure," replied Oak. "Where should we meet?"
"Just wait for the sound of Dragonite's wings."
The line clicked closed, and Oak began apprehensively scanning the horizon out the lab's giant windows, but didn't expect to be met with a clear sky for very long. He knew Dragonite's flying speed was considered to be among the fastest in the Pokemon world, despite its insane girth. Supposedly capable of circumnavigating the globe in around 16 hours, a Pokemon of such repute would have no trouble treating the fifty miles from Pallet Town to Indigo Plateau as if it were merely walking to the house next door.
"Tracy!" he called out. "Look after the oven. I'm going over to Delia's."
"Right!" Tracy leaped up from the couch that sat in the large living room, leaving the TV tuned to the news.
With a loud and hasty slam, the door closed behind the Professor.
Tracy approached the oven and peered inside. "Uggh, would it have killed the guy to at least tell me what he was cooking?" he groaned to himself.
The TV responded by droning on, forgotten.
Oak barely had time to step outside his lab and close the door before he was greeted by an almighty crash. Dust kicked up around him, momentarily blinding him, though the air quickly cleared, revealing a tall man with red hair and a black cape standing next to a massive Dragonite, which peered at Oak with a happy grin, as if satisfied with making good time.
The Professor peered up at the large Pokemon, impressed with what he saw before him.
"I say, Lance," he said. "You never cease to have some of the most well-raised Pokemon in Kanto!" Dragonite roared happily at the praise and bent down to bump his head against, or rather crash into, the Professor's, pushing him back a few feet in surprise.
"Hehe, and one of the more playful it seems."
Lance let slide a cool chuckle of amusement before donning a more serious demeanor.
"Hate to be a buzzkill, Professor," he said with drive in his voice. "But the League has asked me to inform you of a decision that's being tossed around the Elite Four. As you may know, they stay on top of every region's Conference standings and victors, well-informed about everything to individual strategies to what Pokemon each trainer uses and which are left in PC boxes. Naturally, they payed special attention to Ash Ketchum's activity in the Unova Championship, and were unnaturally impressed with his victory.
"Professor Oak, Ash Ketchum as you know won the Unova Championship yesterday, using all-Kanto native and non-legendary Pokemon. Now I assume you are aware of Unova's notoriously tougher reputation, as they seem to have a habit of accepting trainers with legendary Pokemon."
"But Ash doesn't have a legendary Pokemon," Oak replied. "That would put him at a direct and huge disadvantage!"
"He does possess a legendary, Professor," Lance corrected.
Professor Oak's jaw dropped.
"W-What?"
"Yes, he does, but he never used it in competition, which is why Ash has garnered for himself so much attention as of late, and not only from the Pokemon League, but from the entire region of Kanto as well.
"Ash's victory wasn't meant to be possible, not with the Pokemon he used," Lance continued. "The media has been all over it, basically making him a sort of Kanto celebrity. The League is greatly considering officially proclaiming Ash as World's Greatest Pokemon Trainer, in light of his victory over the Unova League, the circumstances that were against him, and his possession of a high-class legendary, any of which qualify him for consideration."
Professor Oak's mind jammed, and for a moment didn't say anything at all. He wasn't sure really what to think. Did they really want Ash to be Pokemon Master? It was the boy's dream, after all, and the skills he had shown in the past made a compelling case, but in all the suddenness he questioned whether the boy was ready for it. The dream he had chased for years he had long since stopped bothering to count.
A stiff cough brought him out of his reverie.
"Huh? Oh, yes, of course," Oak stammered, quickly regaining his composure. "Well, I would agree. Ash certainly has an uncanny and natural talent with raising Pokemon. But I admit to some confusion, Lance. Why not tell me all this over the phone?"
Lance's gaze narrowed swiftly, and his eyes shot to the lab window just over Oak's shoulder. Oak followed his hard gaze and saw a blur as Tracy whipped away from the slightly open window and out of sight.
"That's better," said Lance, satisfied with their secrecy. "Let's walk, shall we? I have more to tell you that I'd rather not have younger ears hear." He gripped a Pokeball and pointed it at Dragonite, who stood proudly at attention at Lance's side. With a happy roar that could only be understood as joy of a job well done, he disappeared into the ball in a flash of red light.
Lance mused for a moment, a slight smile forming. "You could not find a more proud Pokemon."
"You always were a natural with raising Pokemon, Lance."
The two began walking down the small road. There were only a few houses that bordered the street, which was really not much more than a dirt road that to Oak's annoyance regularly attracted hordes of playful Diglett. Today, it seemed, was not one of those days where the Gound-types felt the need to frolic, so the soil beneath their feet lay pleasantly and relatively undisturbed.
The sky was also very clear, and the smooth light breeze carried with it the perfect spring-time air. In the absence of Diglett and Dugtrio were Pidgey and Spearow that took to the skies instead of the ground, flying around seemingly aimlessly in medium-sized flocks. Oak mused to himself as he sensed their delight of a pleasant spring day. They seemed to be enjoying the beautiful day as much as he was.
But to his dismay, he was forced to cut his enjoyment of it short.
"You sound like you have some rather bad news, Lance," he guessed.
Lance gripped his black and red cloak a little tighter, as if to affirm Oak's suspicions. "Yes, and I'm afraid it's rather dire," he said solemnly. "Before I tell you, you have to promise me one thing." Lance stopped and eyed the Professor intently, and for a moment Oak thought he saw a flash of fear dart across the Dragon Master's eyes.
"Yes, of course," Professor Oak replied.
Lance hesitated for a moment. The news he had to give Oak was not one he wished to be the messenger of.
"Thank you, Professor," he said finally. "The League and I are in agreement and we would like you to hold a private celebration for Ash's victory in Unova and his status as Pokemon Master, for at this point I can reasonably guess that this status is pretty much guaranteed. Obviously, it would be non-televised, for safety reasons, but if you wish to record it yourself you're welcome to."
"Of course, Lance," Oak agreed. "But I don't understand. Such a huge title is meant to be publicly broadcasted to every region. Why keep it so hushed?"
Lance glanced away for a brief moment. Why couldn't they have sent Bruno to tell him this?
"Professor," he said. "Despite the League wanting to recognize Ash as a Pokemon Master publicly, they fear for his safety. They want to keep the media's spotlight off him for the time being. We have reason to believe Team Rocket is attempting to re-band, possibly under a different flag of leadership. We've been monitoring activity in and around every major city in Kanto as best we can, and thankfully no major criminal activity has taken place, but we have taken strong precautions following last week's prison breakouts that occurred in five of the six prisons in Kanto and Johto that hold former Team Rocket members.
Professor Oak said nothing for a few moments, during which Lance eyed him patiently but questioningly. A twinge of fear ran down Oak's spine. "Team Rocket's back?"
"We'd like to think we're wrong, but all our evidence points towards their return. When Team Rocket was taken down, all the Pokemon controlled by Team Rocket was transferred to the PC Box system, since the Pokemon they used were stored in their own network, off our main grid. We left the Pokemon dormant in the PC system where we could monitor any activity. Two weeks ago, Bill reported to the League a massive spike in activity in the accounts that held those Pokemon, which occurred hours after the wave of prison breakouts."
"What can we do about this?"
"We've already frozen most of the accounts, but I'm afraid the vast majority of the highest leveled Pokemon are already withdrawn. Furthermore, we are unable to locate who is leading them. Sabrina is convinced she already knows, no doubt knowing her, but she's been rather stubborn with the rest of the League and refuses to tell us. Honestly, Professor, I don't know what to do. At this point we don't know enough about what we're dealing with to make any kind of intelligent judgment."
Oak racked his brains. "Could it be Giovanni again?" he asked.
"Our first guess, but I don't think so," said Lance. "We monitored his PC Box as well and it hasn't shown any sort of activity since his own escape. All of his original Pokemon are still there, undisturbed. Nevertheless, that's no reason to lower our guard. That man as you recall is deviously intelligent. No doubt he's up to something."
"Now that you mention it, my communications to the Pokemon Center in Viridian has been unusually weak lately."
"I expected as much," said Lance solemnly. "Wireless communications all over Kanto have been experiencing unknown interference for about a week, progressively getting worse. Even the Lavender Radio Tower has been having trouble broadcasting their regular programs. We have no idea what's causing it, but in any case, Ash's safety comes first and foremost."
Oak nodded his head. "Yes, of course!"
There was a moment of silence between the two, in which Lance eyed the professor seriously but with mutual understanding. He sensed Oak's excitement about Ash's victory and title of Pokemon Master, and knew full well how strongly the man cared about the young boy, but he also empathized with his fear. It was a fear that was greatly justified. The entire region still bore the marks of Team Rocket's earlier tyranny years before, and with everyone finally settled back into a peaceful atmosphere, everything felt threatened. They both knew Ash was their best chance. Not only had he proved himself time and time again, but he was no longer tied down by traveling, a fact which served to slightly ease their mutual tensions. However, they both knew Ash was in more danger than they were, and Lance knew this made Professor Oak very nervous.
And the League wondered why he had hesitated to relay the information to his old friend and mentor.
Finally, Lance broke the silence. "Thank you, Professor," he said, digging out a Pokeball and releasing Dragonite once more. The giant Pokemon roared with happiness yet again, visibly eager for his trainer to give him another task.
"I should be going, Professor. The Elite Four and I have much yet to discuss."
Professor Oak smiled at the young man as he jumped onto Dragonite's back, earning a delighted snort from the dragon. "Best of luck, Lance," he said.
"Same to you, my friend," replied Lance, and with that, he slapped at Dragonite's sides, and the dragon swiftly took to the skies, turning north and flying impossibly fast. Oak watched in silent wonder, following the two as they flew towards the horizon and eventually fading from view.
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A/N: Apologies for the hasty chapter. As I said, I'm attending school, and my writing skill isn't at it's best. I promise to make it more elaborate in later chapters. Rate and Review! o^_^o