Chapter 3:
Susanne liked to think that she was prepared for anything. She prided herself on it, seeing as she ran a business for pokémon trainers.
"They're a surprising lot, them," her mother always said. "Never just training to train. Always running to or from something." Susanne had taken that advice to heart, then immediately forgotten it when she married her husband Martin. He used to be a fiery tempered pokémon trainer, and they often went weeks or even months without seeing each other. She would beg him, just a one week break. Then it became a month. Then a year. After their third year, Martin proposed. But nothing, not forty years with Martin, could prepare her for the day that she found a dirty, bloody sleeping boy in their guest room. He was lying perfectly rigid on the guest bed, face scrunched up. She didn't know what to do or say. She opened the door slowly, and his eyes flew open. He somehow launched from the bed, and stood in the center of the room, staring. She gasped. His eyes were totally black. Susanne closed the door quickly, and ran back down the hallway. She heard the door fly open behind her, and she sped up even more. Her heart pounded, her breath tugged in her throat, and her feet ached.
I am so out of shape, she thought to herself. The boys footsteps slammed down the hall after her. She called out.
"Martin!" she screeched hysterically. "Martin!" She slammed into the door to her bedroom, and it launched open. There was Martin, still bleary-eyed from sleep, but, nevertheless, holding the net gun they used on their occasional safari. Susanne jumped out of the way quickly, and the gun launched with a dull whump. The boy was launched back against the wall, and the weights on the net punched holes through the drywall and held the net firmly in place. The boy's eyes had returned to normal, but Susanne still shivered as she recalled the black eyes. Martin pulled a pokéball from a small drawer, enlarged it, and released a Pikachu. The large mouse landed with a thud on the wooden floor. It yawned lazily, staring at its surroundings. The boy strained against the net, but it was caught in the wall. Martin approached the youth slowly at first. Martin looked the younger man in the eyes. They stared back, but they seemed scared.
"Please," the boy croaked out. "I just needed a place to rest. My boat…" The young man's voice cracked slightly. "All those people…" Martin examined the youth carefully. The boy was covered in blood, and wearing Team Rocket apparel. Martin filled with rage.
"Like hell you did," was all Martin said. He jabbed the boy in the chest with his finger. "That there's a Rocket R." The boy's chocolate brown eyes widened.
"It's not like that! Honest! I stole these!" Martin chuckled.
"Sure ya' did. What's yer name, thief?" The boy breathed heavily.
"I'm Ash. Or at least I was…" Martin raised his eyebrows and chuckled. He turned to Susanne.
Call Jenny, Martin mouthed. Susanne nodded, and rushed from the room. Ash looked panicked now.
"Lift up my shirt," he blurted suddenly. Martin swiveled on his heel. This kid was mental.
"Excuse me?" Martin asked. Ash struggled his arms back into the net. He lifted the black shirt up, revealing his stomach and sides. It was bubbly and rugged, and slightly warped. The shape and general tone of his body was preserved, but the skin was slightly warped. The entire lower torso was completely covered, but, as Martin watched, the edges and less-defined sections of the burns healed and became smooth again. Martin's eyes widened. The boy smiled forlornly.
"See? This isn't even the worst of it. It's been healing all night. Martin raised his eyebrows, still transfixed by the healing scars. "Now…" Ash's voice wrenched Martin's attention back to the events at hand. "I'll tell you everything, but first, you need to let me down."
~lnnl~
Ash took a sip of the coffee Susanne had prepared for him, finally finishing his story when he had snuck into Martin and Susanne's home. They sat, transfixed by the tale he was spinning before them. Susanne set down her coffee as well.
"So wait, Ash," Ash raised his eyebrows as a signal that she could continue. His hair was still damp from the shower her had taken, and the Rocket Grunt clothes fit loosely, and were patched up slightly by Susanne. "You came back from the dead, refused Death itself, just for a woman?" Ash smiled and nodded. Susanne swatted Martin's shoulder. "See that, you hunk of bricks? That's dedication!" Martin coughed and took another sip of coffee.
"But what I don't understand," Martin began. Ash drank the rest of the coffee in one gulp. He set the mug down lightly. "What I don't understand is, why did you kill those men?" Ash sighed.
"Because, sir, Team Rocket has hounded me my whole life." Martin chuckled and muttered something into his coffee. Ash ignored it. "Also, this girl has as well. Dawn, by the way. Her name is Dawn." Ash looked forlornly into his empty cup. Susanne took the hint and offered him more. "Dawn and I toured across Sinnoh together. I can't go back to her with them around every corner. I could never sleep, knowing I had them power to stop them- all of them, mind you- from ever doing anything bad ever again." Martin thought for a second.
"That's a valid point, kid, but…" He paused for a moment. "You also stop them from ever doing anything good. They will now never have the opportunity to repent, to fix their mistakes." Ash nodded slowly, and Susanne returned with a steaming cup of coffee. Ash took the mug appreciatively.
"Sir, this is the only way I can think that will stop them forever. Just imagining letting one of those scumbags go makes my stomach churn, especially picturing what they could do. I was either really smart, or incredibly stupid. Many other people aren't going to do the same thing that I did. They die for good. All their pokémon… All their achievements, all of it, gone… Imagine that. You're cut short. No achievement, no remembrance. Nothing to acknowledge your existence except a rock. A rock with a name, and two dates. Every breath, every kiss, every battle, every conversation… Two dates…" There was a knock at the door, and it was Officer Jenny. Susanne rushed to answer.
"You called, ma'am?" Susanne nodded.
"I did, officer. There was an intruder, but this fine young gentleman here scared him away." Susanne turned and pointed to Ash as she said this, and Jenny nodded.
"Alright then. Good work-" Officer Jenny stopped in the middle of her praise. "Hey now, have I seen you anywhere?" Ash shook his head. He had never met this Jenny before. "I swear I've seen you before… Have you met any of my sisters or cousins?" Ash nodded.
"Yes officer, I've met many of them." Jenny grunted.
"I'll figure it out eventually." She said her goodbyes, then hopped on her motorcycle and sped off down the road south. Ash watched after her, then sat bolt-upright in his chair. Down the road, there was a group of people approaching. Ash could just make out, in the group, a white beanie. He stiffened, feeling conflicted. He could tell them he was alive, but if he did that, he was unsure he could leave to destroy Team Rocket. He turned to Martin and Susanne, who looked very confused.
"I'm flattered by your patronage, and I hate to take and run, but that's her, and my friends." Martin looked confused.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Ash shook his head, chugging the rest of his coffee.
"No, because if I get caught up with them again, I won't be able to continue working against Team Rocket." Martin looked deep into Ash's eyes. Ash stared right back.
"Alright, go through that door there, and wait until they leave. After they do, I'll teach you a few things to help you on your way, but only if you promise me something." Ash nodded
"Anything."
"You need to promise me that you won't wait too long to go to her. You get your shit done, then you tell her. Alright?" Ash nodded, then rushed to the door. He flung it open, and rushed onto the stairs to Martin and Susanne's basement. He shut it just as there was a knock at the front door.
~lnnl~
Susanne answered the door with her usual smile. There was a small group of kids standing there. Although she appeared relaxed, she was frantically scanning for the blue-haired girl with the white beanie. She was standing, smiling in the center of the group. Susanne welcomed them into her house, making the usual introductions, trying to sell Martin and her breeding program. The younger boy with glasses and blue hair was slightly disturbed, the girl with brown hair and a red shirt looked mortified, and only the larger tan man seemed to understand what she was saying. She cut the pitch short, realising she hadn't the faintest chance of convincing them.
"Oh well," she sighed. "Anyway, what are all of you doing, wandering about at this hour?"
"We're going to participate in a pokémon tournament. We're hoping to see an old friend there." A red-headed girl spoke up, and the rest nodded. Susanne nodded and managed a smile. Martin could tell that his wife was struggling to keep Ash's secret. He stood up, and touched his wife's shoulders.
"Honey, are you okay?" he asked. She nodded.
"Yeah, sweetie, I feel fine."
"Are you sure? Why don't you go lie down?" Susanne thought, then, realization dawning on her face, she nodded furiously.
"Okay," she said, gently pushing through the group of kids. Martin turned and walked over to the battered green couch, and slowly sat down.
"You kids can sleep up in the guest rooms if need be, and help yourselves to the food in the pantry." He sipped his coffee and turned on the television. Breaking news flashed across the screen. The screen was filled with the sight of a ship, deep under water. There were diver's lights around and inside it, and the reporter's voice sounded over the eerie footage.
"-Was discovered in international water by the frequency emitted by its black box. The guest list has informed authorities as to who was present on the boat, and divers are actively retrieving bodies. It appears there were no survivors. The passenger list included…" The reporter droned on and on. Everyone waited around the television with curiosity. The taller, tan man spoke up.
"Isn't that Ash's boat?" The entire party was silent. They waited with bated breath.
"And finally," the group leaned forward, all holding their breath. "The final passenger was Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town in Kanto." The friends were all thunderstruck. Dawn's mind was spinning.
I knew we would never see each other again, she thought numbly. Martin switched the television off. The group all spoke in hushed tones and Martin was able to slip away.
"Holler if you need anything'," he said. "I'll be in the workshop. Please don't come down there, it's sensitive work." With that, he opened the door to the basement, and descended into darkness as a cloud crossed across the sun.
~lnnl~
Alright, guys, there's another chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it, because I loved writing it. All you beautiful bastards leave a review with questions, comments, advice, just general review stuff. With that said, this is TheWyrm, signing out.