Chapter Four: The Lost Boy

Pallet Town - Kento War

"Where did the boy come from?" Asked Delia, drinking some tea. The boy in question was sound asleep under a blanket cuddling up with one of the young squrtle. Professor Oak had just walked back into the room. "He looks well looked after, he's healthy, I think his parents will be looking for him."

"Maybe not." Said Professor Oak "Spencer found a man dressed similar to the boy... He's badly injured. He claimed to known Ash. He states that the boy needs to be safe."

"Is he Ash's father?" asked Delia, looking at the small boy then back to Professor Oak.

"We can only guess." Said Professor Oak. "Spencer believes that they were part of an serect society or underground cult, I think that he might be right."

Delia looked again at the boy sleeping peacefully. "Do we hand him over to the local Authorities?" She asked "This man is at the hospital right?..." She trail off by the look on Professor Oak face. "What is it?"

"I don't know if that's for the best. They were obviously running away from something or someone." Said Professor Oak "And with this war going on, a lot of strange things have been happening. Untill we know who was after them...I think the boy is safe here..."

"But the man Spencer found?"

"Is in hospital, he's not going to make it though the night." Said Professor Oak soberly.

"You think we should let him stay here?" Asked Delia doubtfully. It seem wrong not informing someone about the boy. Finding a place were the boy could stay.

"Untill we know more, we haven't got a choice." Said Professor Oak "When he wake up we see if he can tell us anything..."

"Sam, we can't just keep him. He's a child, a real person...a child..."

"If he is part of a cult or serect organization do you think the government right now will care he is a toddler?" Asked Professor Oak, the government had already had enough trouble with the on going war as well as the new gang that called themselves Team Rocket. "It's not the ideal situation, I know...but I keep thinking what if that boy was Gary...I would want him to be safe..."

The boy woke up a few hours later, he hadn't spoken since they had found him. "Ash?" Asked Delia, Ash turned to look at her "Are you hungry?" He boy nodded at once. Delia hold out a hand and Ash took it "Come on then, lets see what we can find..."

They sat in the kitchen eatting sandwiches. "How old are you Ash?" Ash show three fingers "Three?" The boy nodded his head "Wow,..." Delia saw Professor oak standing in the door way. "Ash, do you know where you live?" Ash blinked "Where is your home?"

"Underground." Said Ash, Delia wasn't sure if Ash ment the air raid shelters or a underground house.

"Do you have mom and dad?"

"Papa said run." Said Ash in a small voice "He fight with an man, and they punch and kick..."

Delia paused for an moment, so it look likely the man dieing in hospital was the father. "Is there any one else who looks after you?"

"Papa..." Said the boy

"Anyone else?"

The boy paused "Papa say we are an team, I want my papa..." The boy suddenly looked like he was going to cry, so Delia move around to hug the boy, Ash hugged back tightly.

"Ash, do you know the man your papa was fighting?" Asked Delia carefully.

"A bad man..."

"What did he look like? Can you tell me?"

Ash closed his eyes "He was really tall, and everything was grey, he had spikey hair out of his face..."

"A beard?"

"Not a fluffy like Santa, a little one." Ash trailed off and it was clear he didn't want to talk about the bad man anymore.

Professor Oak come walking in "Ash, do you know someone called Fire?"

"People call papa Agent Fire." Said Ash at once "Papa doesn't like that name..."

"What name dose he like..."

"Papa, only I'm allowed to call him that." Said Ash "Papa calls me Agent Ash..."

"So is Agent Ash is an serect name."Ash nodded his head seriously. Whatever the boys real name was they could ask him later. "Ash, listen, your papa is hurt, he's in hospital at the moment...he is very ill... Do you want to see him?" Ash nodded his head at once.

The ride to the hospital wasn't very long. "What dose your papa do, dose he have a job?" Asked Professor Oak carefully. He didn't know how much Ash knew about were he grown up, or the people who raised him.

"He looks after Pokemon." Said Ash proudly

"A very important job, what pokemon dose he look after?"

"All pokemon." Said Ash at once "I like looking after Caterpies..."

Professor Oak laughted at little at the child energy "I like Caterpies too, we get an lot of them around here..."

"Why were you in the woods yesterday? What were you doing?" Asked Delia. A day was a long time for a child, she hoped Ash may be able to give her and Professor Oak some answers.

"We have to go, papa said we had go, just me and him."

"Go where?"

"Away..."

"Away from what?"

"Papa said we had to go."

Delia didn't question Ash any more, Ash probably didn't know what exactly was going on. They park the car. "Okay Ash, this place is very big so stay with me okay..." Ash nodded his head. "Lets go and see your Papa..."

Now: The Island of the Stone Pokémon

"Sorry, I am still having a hard time believe all this." Said Brock pacing the cabin and rubbing his head at the same time.

"And you think I don't?" Question Gary looking annoyed.

"Why have they just told you, have they told Jenny?" Asked Brock angrily. "Ash has been missing for months now..." This information could be important, it could be the lend they been missing.

"They are scared for his safety." Said Gary at once, defending the people he grow up with "They said soon after they found Ash, someone come looking for him - Giovanni...why, I don't know. But after Giovanni visit they couldn't drawn attention to Ash."

"You don't think Giovanni has anything to do with this." Said Misty sharply. Giovanni was a dangerous man.

"No, I don't think so, my guess is someone else is interested in Ash, someone who knew him before he trun up in Pallet Town all those years ago." Said Gary

Now in a remote country side

Ash watched as the sun stated to set, Pikachu sat on his shoulders. Ash was wearing combat boots and trousers. His jacket was well fitting, on his wrist he had a large device.

"Do you think we are making to right chose?" Asked Ash, Pikachu shrugged his shoulders. "We are doing good," Pikachu nodded his head. Ash signed more to himself, "Do you believe what they say? It seems to be true, the missing piece of my past. I just wish they answer all my questions... " Ash sat down on a log deep in thought. "I wish we can see everyone again, they must think we're dead..."

"Pick a, Chu Chu, Pikachu." Said Pikachu patting Ash on his head lightly.

"They won't give up, but looking for us... But it is too dangerous...I can't let them get hurt . Maybe if we warn them... But If I connect them it will make everything worst..." Ash closed his eyes, wishing he stayed in that Pokemon Centre that night. He wanted to do the right thing for everyone, but he couldn't help but wonder if he was hurting the people closest to him. "Maybe it's for the best, a war is coming and..." Ash turned too Pikachu "...And we got work to do... "