Disclaimer: Pokémon is not mine.
Key:
- Dream State - , Flashback , ' thoughts ', " Dialogue "
Rating: T
--
A young woman with long, perfect, brown hair that fell to her waist stared quietly into a clear crystal ball. Currently it showed her within it's depths the young man lying upon the nurse's bed. Furious, she glared at the yellow star pokémon floating beside her.
"You gave him AMNESIA?!" She demanded of it, causing it to wince as she addressed it so angrilly.
"It seemed like the easiest way for me to grant your wish." The psy-pokémon replied with annoyance.
"I do hope you've got a good explanation for this." She said, arresting her attitude and glaring at the pokémon.
Jirachi sighed, "Look, you woke me up and asked me to do the impossible. Don't argue with the methods I choose."
Giselle raised an eyebrow.
"True love... you realize we're messing with destiny, and you don't care." Jirachi sighed, "I figured that if he couldn't remember his love then you would have a better chance at winning him over."
"Ah... well why didn't you just say so in the first place." Giselle brightened, ignoring the rest of what the wish-pokémon had said. "So... how long is this Amnesia going to last?"
"It's hard to say. It could be longer... or shorter... depending on if destiny realizes what we're up to and decides to fight back."
"You keep talking like 'Destiny' is a person or something that is going to come and smite me for doing all of this." Giselle laughed.
Jirachi sighed and turned away for a moment, concern etched in its onyx eyes. "You have no idea..."
--
As it turned out, Mrs. Ketchum had gone out of town temporarily. She'd even taken her Mr. Mime along for protection so the house was entirely empty when Daisy arrived. Lost for idea's Daisy returned to her grandfather's lab which now of course belonged to Gary, should the young man decide his pokémon battling days were over and settle back down in his hometown. Everyone knew he had the knowledge for it, and many people believed he should have gone home immediately when Oak had died 5 years ago, but for an unknown reason that some called pride and others loyalty, the legendary Gary Oak had remained the Indigo League champion for all of these years.
Daisy could not understand it. Certainly, if it had been her in his place she would have come home, at least for the funeral if nothing else. But it had unfortunately been scheduled during the yearly League tournament and Gary apparently couldn't get away. At least, that's what his conciliatory note home had said. But deep down, Daisy knew, he was embarrassed for himself, because after that it was rare indeed that she ever saw him in Pallet, and when he did it was only because of business. She found it more and more difficult to believe him to even be related to her. At least Ash had sent flowers every year by mail, each bouquet different from the last as he explored new places.
Daisy sighed as her thoughts turned to the young man currently awaiting her return back at her small house near the lab. Even with amnesia Ash was probably a better person than Gary. He was everyone's hero. Innately charitable and selfless, when he wasn't battling to become stronger he was doing it by helping the townspeople of wherever he happened to stop with whatever they needed. Usually they had no idea who he was, and neither did he know them. But that never stopped him from doing what he could to help them, whether it was because of a Team Rocket, Aqua, Magma, or Galactic attack, or to dress up as a nurse so that he might help injured pokémon during a Pokémon Center emergency. Or at least, that's what it said on the papers and in the news.
And all of it drove Gary insane. Being Ash's rival in youth hadn't stopped him from continuing to do so even when they were miles apart. Every time Ash's name showed up anywhere Gary worked extra hard with his pokémon to keep on top of the ever-increasing levels of the children who came to the league to challenge him. The first few years had been easy, kids came expecting to defeat him, cocky and filled with too much pride to pay attention to their pokémon. But more and more they started to consider strategies and idea's that might take down the now 8-year champ, a record that Gary was thoroughly proud of.
Daisy returned her attention to the matter at hand, observing the pokéball's all along the walls. Everything was so neat and organized.
"Tracy? You here?" she called for the man who'd been keeping it in order all of these years. From just down the hall the young man with shoulder length black hair, held in check by the bright red headband, poked his head.
"Daisy?" he called back, walking towards her. As always he wore an over-sized green shirt and cherry red shorts.
"What's up?" he asked as he approached her, the lab reports for the day currently in his arms as he went through checking all the pokémon to make sure they were all right.
Daisy smiled and waved. "Hey Trace... could you get Gary's number for me... I've got a situation that I need his help with."
Tracy blinked curiously but nodded, setting the stack of papers down on a nearby desk. "Sure... what's up?"
Daisy shrugged helplessly, "You know that kid who's always in the papers? Well he washed up here yesterday with amnesia and since Gary knows him personally he's probably the best person to ask for help."
Tracy blinked, wide-eyed. "Ash is here? With amnesia?" he repeated.
Daisy glanced at him curiously, "Mhmm... why... do you know him?"
"Sure, I know Ash. He met me in the Orange Archipelago while he was traveling alone with Misty... the gym leader. That was right after his first Indigo League match... where he lost to Richie. Anyway, I kind of tagged along with them while they were there... and that's how I got to meet the Professor." he explained.
Daisy stared in shock, then recovered. "Well, I shouldn't be so surprised... since I don't know anything about him except that he's my brother's rival and his mom lives just down the street."
Tracy smiled, "Why don't you let me help... I have a better idea of his friends than you do. I'd probably be the best candidate you could find in this town to help find someone that might help Ash remember... now when you say amnesia... how bad is it?" he asked, wanting to know exactly what he was dealing with.
"He doesn't remember anything, not his name... not even his own pokémon!" Daisy replied.
Tracy nodded, looking grave. "Ok then... well... let's go."
--
"So, you're trading me off to this guy?" Ash asked perplexed as Daisy informed him of the situation.
Daisy blushed and shook her head, waving her hands back and forth, "No! That's not it... it's just he knows you better..."
Tracy nodded furvently, "Yeah, I can help re-introduce you to some of the people you know... and maybe by meeting them some of your memories will return!"
Ash shrugged in defeat, "Well, if you really think it will help, then I guess I've got nothing against it."
Tracy smiled, "Alright then, we'll leave tomorrow. I've got a few loose ends to tie up at the lab, but it shouldn't take me very long. Then I should make a few calls to your old friends and let them know you're coming."
Ash nodded in agreement, "Ok."
--
"So what do we do now?" Giselle asks the pokémon, curious to see what further mischief it will cause on her behalf
"My suggestion... Giselle, is that you do your best to get into his life any way you can think of. The more familiar he is with you the better chance you have. But for goodness sake... try to hide how evil you really are, or this will backfire so badly that destiny might actually feel sorry for you." Jirachi slamed that home without mercy, knowing that it didn't matter how many times the wish-pokémon warned her of the danger she faced in this wish of hers... she'd ignore it all.
--
Rozu